Career-Connected Continuing Ed: How Upright Education Helps Colleges Upskill Adult Learners in Digital Skills
Continuing education is one of higher education's fastest-growing segments, expanding at over 11% annually, driven by adult learners seeking digital skills in AI, data, and cybersecurity. Upright Education partners with colleges and universities to deliver career-connected, workforce-relevant programs that help institutions upskill adult learners quickly and effectively. The piece explores how this model bridges the gap between traditional academic offerings and rapidly evolving employer demands.
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Key takeaways
Continuing education is growing at more than 11% annually while traditional undergraduate enrollment declines.
AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity are reshaping job categories, pressuring institutions to modernize upskilling programs.
Upright Education provides a partnership model helping colleges deliver career-connected digital skills training for adult learners.
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Higher education is undergoing a quiet shift. While undergraduate enrollments remain in long-term decline, continuing education has emerged as one of the sector’s fastest-growing segments, expanding at more than 11% annually. At the same time, rapid advances in AI, data, and cybersecurity are reshaping nearly every job category, forcing institutions to rethink how quickly and effectively they can respond to workforce needs. The stakes are high: federal policy shifts like Workforce Pell now tie funding eligibility to completion and placement outcomes, raising the bar for short-term workforce and continuing education programs.
What does it actually take for colleges and universities to deliver career-connected learning that keeps pace with the labor market—without overextending already stretched continuing education teams?
Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Benny Boas, founder and CEO of Upright Education, to explore how colleges can rapidly launch market-ready digital skills programs for adult learners. Together, they unpack Upright’s role as an extension of institutional workforce and continuing education divisions, the realities of local labor markets, and why upskilling—not reskilling—is now driving the majority of adult learner demand.
Key highlights from the conversation…
- How Upright helps colleges bring AI, data, and cybersecurity programs to market quickly without building curriculum from scratch.
- Why local labor market dynamics—and access to workforce funding—matter more than institutional size in continuing education success.
- How learner outcomes are evolving beyond job placement to include upskilling, retention, and long-term career resilience.
Benny Boas is the founder and CEO of Upright Education, a workforce training platform that partners with colleges to deliver outcomes-focused programs in high-demand digital skills, helping thousands of adults prepare for the future of work. He previously founded Burlington Code Academy, one of the early U.S. coding bootcamps, which achieved industry-leading job placement rates and was acquired in 2022. Benny’s background also includes UX/UI design and digital innovation roles at The Bloc and McCann Worldgroup, where he helped launch and scale technology-driven products and talent programs.
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About the author
With 20 years of experience at the intersection of higher education and edtech, Darin Francis brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for driving meaningful change in the sector. Having led teams, crafted go-to-market (GTM) strategies, and worked closely with institutions, Darin is uniquely positioned to help edtech companies navigate the complexities of U.S. and Canadian higher education. Darin Francis, based in Detroit, MI, US, is currently a Managing Partner and CEO at Harbinger Lane Consulting.
