Career-Aligned Means Hired: Caitlyn Brazill on Rethinking Workforce Outcomes

A recent feature in Mission to Margin explores a question facing colleges, workforce organizations, and employers alike: What does it truly mean to be career-aligned?

In this conversation, Per Scholas President Caitlyn Brazill argues that career alignment isn’t defined by employer advisory boards, new credentials, or internship programs, but is defined by outcomes. At Per Scholas, job attainment is the organization’s north star, shaping everything from curriculum design and employer partnerships to learner support and organizational decision-making.

The interview also examines several of the biggest forces reshaping workforce development today. Caitlyn discusses why outcome accountability is critical as Workforce Pell is implemented, why employer partnerships must be centered on real hiring demand, and how artificial intelligence is transforming the entry point into technology careers.

As AI changes traditional entry-level roles, Caitlyn emphasizes that the solution isn’t simply teaching people how to use AI. In the article, Caitlyn asks: If employers stop hiring people to do the entry-level tasks that AI agents can perform, where do workers learn and build human judgment? The workforce also needs new pathways that give learners opportunities to develop judgment, practical experience, and the professional skills that come from real work.

The conversation also challenges long-held assumptions about degrees and hiring, making the case that employers should increasingly focus on demonstrated skills, supervised practice, and measurable outcomes rather than credentials alone.

For more than 30 years, Per Scholas has measured success by one standard: helping learners launch careers that create lasting economic mobility. As the labor market continues to evolve, that focus on outcomes—and on building training around real employer demand—has never been more important. 

Read the full article here.