⚠️ Post Secondary Funding Gaps, New Metrics, and the Race for Talent.
From Carnegie’s new classifications to AWS’s global workforce push, higher ed is redefining success around outcomes, access, and mobility. The rise and rise of apprenticeships - join us for the 🇺🇸 Back to School Summit Sept 9-11 in New York.
Hello 👋
As funding uncertainty and student loan collections bear down on U.S. higher education, institutions are reshaping what success looks like. New Carnegie classifications announced last week center student outcomes and economic mobility, highlighting “opportunity colleges” that serve as engines of access and equity. Universities, meanwhile, are navigating budget gaps via tuition hikes, legal action, and tech partnerships—from Colorado’s adoption of Clarivate’s Pivot-RP to implementing funding platforms like Instrumentl, which recently raised $55M. Globally, institutions are shaping success by pushing toward career-connected learning, with AWS launching a Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance in Thailand to bridge education and industry.
The opportunity agenda is global, and the definition of success is shifting. HolonIQ’s platform maps these developments across funding, innovation, and workforce pathways. Request a demo to explore the full intelligence.
🎓 >20% Rise in Apprentices in the US
Between 2015 and 2025, registered apprentices in the US grew over 88%, from 360K to 680K, driven by federal investments and initiatives like the American Apprenticeship Initiative. Focused on expanding apprenticeships in healthcare, IT, and manufacturing, the government aimed to close skills gaps and increase workforce diversity while also improving earn and learn apprenticeships, to sustain inclusive, high-quality apprenticeship programs. More recent policy changes in the US continue to support growth in apprenticeships, where we are likely to see continued innovation in models, and further integration with Higher Education. Join us at the Back to School Summit for up to date leadership conversations about Apprenticeship futures.
AI Upskilling & Reskilling Initiatives
⚡ Thailand and Microsoft are launching the THAI Academy to train over 1 million Thais in AI by the end of 2025. Backed by 35+ public and private organizations, the initiative targets civil servants, students, SMEs, and workers nationwide.
⚙️ Caterpillar will invest $100M over five years to upskill workers in AI, robotics, and automation as part of its centennial celebration. The move addresses a looming skills shift, with 40% of job skills expected to change by 2030, per WEF.
💻 MDEC & Zhejiang University Join Forces to Boost AI and Digital Innovation. Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has partnered with China’s Zhejiang University to drive AI innovation, smart cities, and digital governance via the successful ‘Zhejiang Model.’
Register Now for Earlybird Prices. 2025 Back to School Summit — September 10–11 in NYC 🇺🇸
Join 700 CEOs and influential leaders at the 2025 Back to School Summit, September 10–11 in New York City 🇺🇸. Two days of high-impact presentations, private roundtables, fireside chats, and curated networking with top companies, global foundations, and major institutional investors.Register now for Early Bird Tickets. Connect with us to receive the 2025 Sponsorship Brochure.
💪 Power Moves
🤖 Israel’s Center for Educational Technology and eSelf collaborated to allow all Israeli students to gain access to an AI tutor.
⛑️ The US president signs a new executive order to add 1M apprenticeships.
💡 California launched a statewide education data system to track student outcomes and inform better career planning.
💰 Education Funding
HolonIQ actively monitors and tracks capital flow in the education market, spanning across all regions and transaction categories.
🏫 Instrumentl, a US-based company that has raised $55M in funding to develop its platform’s AI capabilities and expand its US footprint.
💬 Meadow, a New York City-based company, secured $14M to expand its operations of its student financial platform.
🎓 Emversity, an Indian program content and delivery partner, raised $5M to scale its operations and expand skilled workforce training across India.
🖥️ Panorama Education, a US-based education technology company, acquired Class Companion to enhance personalized learning and student success through AI.
📢 Knovia Group, a private equity firm, acquired Babington, an apprenticeship provider, adding to its existing portfolios that currently include competing apprenticeship giant Paragon Skills.
Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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