EventWebinar

How Workforce Pell reengages men in higher education

May 14, 2026
Saul Valdez, Patrick Bourke, Jennifer Stiddard, Rachael Stephens Parker, Zach Boren
Two men in safety vests using computers for hands-on technical workforce training session
Time: May 14, 2026, 1:00pm ET
Location: Zoom
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Two men in safety vests using computers for hands-on technical workforce training session

Empowering men through Workforce Pell: Pathways to education and economic mobility

Join AIBM’s Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative (HEMAC) for a discussion on how Workforce Pell—the largest expansion of federal student aid in recent years—can help reengage men in higher education. This event will bring together researchers, state implementers, and workforce policy leaders to explore how short-term credentials, apprenticeships, and earn-and-learn programs can create accessible, stackable pathways to degrees.

Attendees will learn how education and workforce leaders can design models that meet the needs of men who have left traditional higher education, while strengthening workforce pipelines and supporting long-term economic mobility.

Learn more in our policy brief, “How Workforce Pell Could Help Reengage Men in College.”

Register

Panelists

Saúl Valdez is the director of AIBM’s Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative.
Saul Valdez
Saúl Valdez is director of AIBM’s Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative, where he leads strategy, programming and partnerships to improve postsecondary outcomes for men.
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Patrick Bourke
Patrick Bourke is a senior policy fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men and serves in Maryland’s Governor’s Office for Children, where he works to address challenges facing young men and boys across the state.
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Jennifer Stiddard
Jennifer Stiddard is a senior director of policy and advocacy at JFF, where she leads legislative and executive engagement and advances policy proposals.
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Rachael Stephens Parker
Rachael Stephens Parker is executive director of the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Development Board, appointed in 2023 under the Moore-Miller administration.
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Zach Boren
Zach Boren is vice president of Apprenticeships for America, where he works to expand high-quality apprenticeship programs.

Are you a higher education educator or administrator?

We invite you to learn more about our Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative (HEMAC) program. The collaborative is a group of educators, administrators, and institutions committed to helping young men succeed in higher education.

Learn more   Get in touch

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