INDIANAPOLIS, July 24, 2025 (Newswire.com) – Nearly half of all Americans who want to change occupations say that their lack of education, skills or credentials is a barrier to that new job. American College of Education (ACE) offers a solution for those job-seekers, with data-driven programs that are directly tied to in-demand skills, equipping students for success in the job market without saddling them with student debt.

ACE, founded in 2005, is a national innovator in providing quality, affordable and accredited online graduate degrees. ACE is the third-highest conferrer of education master’s degrees in the United States¹ and maintains low tuition, which enables nearly nine out of 10 students to graduate debt-free².

ACE’s commitment to accessible and career-relevant undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees is essential in a modern economy where workers are increasingly willing to change their occupations. The new McKinsey American Opportunity Survey, released in May, found that about four in 10 U.S. workers would change occupations, but 45% of them say a need for more skills, credentials, education or experience would prevent them from doing so.

ACE helps workers achieve new opportunities and better wages, often without the burden of student loans, through what it terms a “triangulated” approach: The college analyzes data, consults with businesses and gathers input from ACE graduates working in the field in order to design affordable degree and certificate programs that meet market demands.

Data is the first piece of the triangle. ACE studies labor market trends, job descriptions, and government and private-sector data to determine the skills needed for positions related to its degree programs. “It all starts with understanding what the data in the market is telling us about what skills are required for jobs – not only what is needed today but what is expected for tomorrow,” said Mark Pollack, ACE’s senior vice president of learning products.

ACE also maintains a dedicated field team that builds relationships with school districts, hospitals and other businesses to understand what skills employers seek. “Those conversations provide insight into what employers say their employees will need today and what they will need in the future. That piece is critical because it confirms what the data from Lightcast, the Bureau of Labor Services or any of our other data services are providing for us,” Pollack said.

Student input is the third piece of ACE’s approach. The college surveys its alumni and meets with alumni groups 10 or more times a year. “We follow up with alumni to make sure that they’re achieving what they need in the roles that they receive after they’ve completed their degree with us, and that their new skills are translating into better work performance and better salaries,” Pollack said.

ACE takes the information from its various data analyses, industry consultation and alumni feedback to examine how those needed skills align with the curriculum for each course it offers. When it sees gaps, Pollack said, it builds curriculum to teach those skills.

ACE also closely tracks emerging skills to enhance its courses – with artificial intelligence as a prime example. “Five years ago, AI meant something totally different than what it means today. So we have a surgical effort to make sure that our curriculum is helping our students understand what AI is and how to use it,” Pollack said. “For example, in the K-12 education field, we are not only arming our students to be able to understand AI literacy and usage in their own degree path, but also how they’re going to help their students with AI literacy and usage.”

ACE’s triangular approach is manifested in a first-of-its-kind program launching this fall, a Certificate in Professional Skills in Travel Nursing. ACE collaborated with all players in the system – hospitals, hiring agencies representing travel nurses, a trade organization and the nurses themselves – to create a program that teaches nurses how to adapt and function in constantly changing settings.

ACE continuously designs, reviews and improves its programs while maintaining its focus on its value proposition for its students. ACE keeps its quality high and costs in check by leveraging its in-house faculty and curriculum development team, rather than relying on third-party publishers to keep its curriculum up to date, engaging and relevant.

“ACE is committed to delivering quality, affordability and flexibility to our students,” said ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland. “That means we will dedicate the people and resources needed to ensure our programs give our students the skills they need to attain the jobs and opportunities they’re looking for, while still keeping our degrees accessible and affordable for all.”