SHRM's E² Initiative: Repairing the Education-to-Employment Pipeline

The U.S. education-to-employment pipeline is broken, leaky, and busted. Too many students leave school without the skills employers need, while millions of ready-to-work individuals remain sidelined by outdated systems and missed opportunities. The result is a fractured pipeline that weakens workforce participation, slows innovation, and undermines economic growth.

The Education-to-Employment (E²) Initiative is SHRM's answer to this challenge. E² is designed to seal the leaks by connecting education and employment at every stage — from K-12 and higher education to reskilling and pathways for untapped talent pools. As the trusted convener of HR professionals, SHRM brings employers, educators, policymakers, and communities together to ensure workers are prepared, businesses remain competitive, and local economies thrive.

Recently, SHRM Chief of Staff and Head of Government Affairs Emily M. Dickens, J.D., joined Penta's What's at Stake podcast to discuss how E² is reframing HR professionals as workforce policy leaders and driving solutions to close the skills gap. Dickens emphasized that repairing the pipeline requires educators, policymakers, and HR leaders to work in lockstep so learners can transition seamlessly into meaningful careers. 

At its core, E² is anchored in the 3 A's:

• Awareness: Shining a light on gaps and amplifying programs that already work, including dual-enrollment schools and hands-on apprenticeships.

• Advocacy: Advancing bipartisan policies that strengthen career pathways, promote skills-first hiring, and expand investment in education and upskilling.

• Action: Turning ideas into impact through employer partnerships, pilot projects, and scalable models that HR professionals can apply in their own workplaces and communities.

E² is already moving from vision to impact. SHRM is bringing together employers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to address the gaps in our talent pipeline. The challenge is global: Too often, what students learn doesn't match what employers need. By sharing lessons, leveraging expertise, and scaling proven solutions, SHRM is empowering members everywhere to repair the pipeline and build better workplaces for a better world through Awareness, Advocacy, and Action. The E² Initiative ensures HR professionals are not just implementers of workforce policy, but leaders shaping the systems that connect learning and work.