Labor Day: Non-College Employment STARs, History, Policy & Politics, Career Advice

For this Labor Day holiday, highlights from our series for and about non-college careers: From our centennial series, Annelies Goger , an economic geographer and a fellow with the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, and Justin Heck , research director at Opportunity@Work, look at the history of non-college employment and where it stands today. Audrey Mickahail , senior vice president at Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit working to expand access to career opportunities, and Aaliyah Siddiqi , marketing operations specialist for a Philadelphia pharmaceutical company, talk about alternative routes to professional careers. Blair Corcoran de Castillo , vice president of public sector and policy at Opportunity@Work, and Tony Gherardini , executive director at the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, talk about how state governments and public agencies are rethinking hiring, training, and credential requirements to open up opportunity for STARs—workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes. Louisa Tatum , Career Services Manager at the New York Public Library, talks about the job and career landscape for people without college degrees—and we'll take calls from listeners who are looking for career advice. Support of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org . These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here: 100 Years of 100 Things: Non-College Employment (Oct 9, 2024) Another Way Into the Workforce (Apr 9, 2025) The Politics and Policy of Empowering Skilled Workers (Apr 30, 2025) Career Counseling Courtesy of the New York Public Library (May 2, 2025)