New entry deadline: March 30th! Enter the 2018 Better Government Competition: “Making Higher Education & Career Training Options Affordable & Effective”
Each year, the Better Government Competition focuses on one of the country’s greatest public policy challenges. Families today are struggling to afford college, young adults are saddled with crippling debt, and government workforce development programs and existing education models have not been reliable pipelines to stable employment. In recognition of these challenges, Pioneer Institute’s 2018 Better Government Competition seeks ideas to make postsecondary education options for high school graduates more affordable, accessible, and effective. Download the contest guidelines, visit us online to learn more, and submit your proposal today! *New entry deadline: March 30, 2018.
POTENTIAL AREAS FOR APPLICANTS TO CONSIDER
• Develop approaches to address escalating education costs and student loan debt.
• Generate new information resources to:
o Guide families through the college application and financial aid processes, and alternative career options;
o Ensure the value of student investment in higher education – for example, through performance-based funding and transparency tools for consumers.
• Leverage digital learning and web-based educational models to contain costs, improve academic quality, and broaden access to online coursework and degree programs.
• Re-think community colleges, for example, through course re-design and other improvements that increase completion rates and, where appropriate, help students transition to four-year colleges.
• Establish coordinated, scalable apprenticeship programs and vocational technical options that cultivate middle skills, expand occupational opportunities, and make training new employees more affordable for employers.
• Explore ways to advance partnerships between postsecondary schools and employers that augment student opportunities for career development.
Other ideas? The topics outlined above are examples to help stimulate and guide the development of your proposals. Entrants are not limited to the categories listed above and should feel free to draft proposals focused on other ideas based on proven public policy reforms related to higher education costs, postsecondary education opportunities, and workforce competitiveness.
The Better Government Competition is open to entrants from across the country. Submit your idea today! *New entry deadline: March 30, 2018.
