Buttressing the Middle - A Case for Reskilling and Upskilling America’s Middle-Skill Workers in the 21st Century

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

Buttressing the Middle argues that American middle-skill workers need stronger pathways for reskilling and upskilling to withstand future disruptions, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19. It examines how employment polarization has reduced the share and earnings of middle-skill occupations. Drawing on PIAAC data, it links weak literacy and numeracy to social and labor outcomes and to performance on problem-solving tasks. The report proposes an evidence-centered learning and assessment system to improve literacy, numeracy, and digital skills for adults left behind.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages46

Reading Time1 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Introduction

Context

The Future of Skills

Action Agenda

Appendices

Policy Report Buttressing the Middle: A Case for Reskilling and Upskilling America’s Middle-Skill Workers in the 21st Century Irwin Kirsch, Anita Sands, Steve Robbins, Madeline Goodman and Rick Tannenbaum THE ETS CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON HUMAN CAPITAL AND EDUCATION Table of Contents Preface ..................................................................................1 Introduction ..........................................................................3 Context ..................................................................................4 The Future of Skills ..............................................................7 Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Expectations ................7 Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Expectations for Emergent Jobs............................................................ 11 The Paradox of Increasing Skill Expectations................ 14 Action Agenda ................................................................... 18 A Theory of Action for Developing Targeted Interventions to Improve Adult Skills...................... 18 The Approach ..................................................... 19 Components of an ECD Learning and Assessment System ........................................... 20 Mechanisms of an ECD Learning and Assessment System ........................................... 22 Initial Outcomes ................................................. 23 Long-Term Outcomes ....................................... 24 Some Final Thoughts ........................................................ 26 Appendices ........................................................................ 27 Appendix A: Bright Outlook Occupations, O*NET Crosswork................................................................... 27 Appendix B: PIAAC Literacy Skills by Level of Educational Attainment, Population 16–34, 2012/ 2014 ............................................................................ 35 About the Authors ............................................................ 36 This report was written by: Irwin Kirsch Anita M. Sands Steven B. Robbins Madeline J. Goodman Richard J. Tannenbaum The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and trustees of Educational Testing Service. Copyright © 2021 by ETS. All rights reserved. ETS and the ETS logo are registered trademarks of ETS. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. March 2021 ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education Research and Development Educational Testing Service Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541-0001 Suggested citation: Kirsch, Irwin, Anita M. Sands, Steven B. Robbins, Madeline J. Goodman, and Richard J. Tannenbaum, Buttressing the Middle: A Case for Reskilling and Upskilling America's Middle-Skill Workers in the 21st Century. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 2021. Preface As this report was being written, the tragedy of COVID-19 unfolded. Hundreds of thousands in the United States lost their lives to the virus, many more lost loved ones, jobs, and homes, and the U.S. economy plummeted. The path forward will demand much of our nation. We believe that one of the many critical challenges confronting us is to ensure that American workers are better insulated from future disruptions. For today's—and by all estimates—tomorrow's middle skill labor force, that insulation will be significantly improved through opportunities to acquire quality education and skills. This new report from the ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education argues that the education and skills individuals possess have become increasingly important to their overall quality of life. As technology and automation continue to alter the workplace and the nature of work, the ability of individuals to acquire and augment their skills will remain a key challenge. Changes in the nat

FAQs

What problem does the report identify as most urgent for America’s middle-skill workers?

The report highlights employment polarization and declining middle-skill earnings, making it critical to improve workers’ access to education and skill acquisition to better withstand future disruptions.

Which data source does the report use to analyze adult skills?

It uses PIAAC, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, to show that many adults do not demonstrate literacy and numeracy levels linked to important social and labor market outcomes.

What is the core policy approach proposed in the report?

It advances a theory of action centered on developing a learning and assessment system that can be applied across workplace and educational contexts to raise adults’ literacy, numeracy, and digital skills.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor