Voters Across Parties Want Action on Education, Survey Shows

Most voters across the political spectrum want to see politicians take action on education and workforce issues—and even agree on what some of those actions could be, according to an April survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Jobs for the Future, an organization focused on workforce development.  

The survey of 1,790 voters found that 80 percent believe it’s important for elected officials to work toward making postsecondary education and training affordable and aligned with careers and expanding economic opportunities for workers. And 75 percent of voters agreed that the federal government should play a role in supporting students and workers, while 80 percent are in favor of policies that make education and training systems more connected to careers.

Respondents were much less likely to say lawmakers are doing enough about such issues, with just over 40 percent expressing satisfaction with how much attention policymakers are paying to workforce development.

Still, respondents of all parties showed significant support for some of the same policies.

For example, 84 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Independents said they believe in expanding partnerships between schools and businesses that provide work-based learning opportunities. Similarly, 82 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Independents supported expanding apprenticeship programs. Most also approved of allowing students to use financial aid dollars on more affordable, short-term workforce training programs—83 percent, 79 percent and 76 percent, respectively.

The survey also revealed widespread support for skills-based hiring across party lines, with 86 percent of Republicans, 85 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of Independents agreeing that employers should hire based on skills rather than degrees.