The Workplace Learning Innovation Lab
We’re not just preparing students for the future—we’re driving them towards it. With a fierce dedication to accessibility, we’re reducing the cost of higher education at NYU’s School of Professional Studies by breaking down barriers, and building bridges between classrooms and careers. Through cross-sector partnerships and co-research initiatives, we empower students, faculty, and industry collaborators to respond to the needs of the workforce with speed and innovation.
What We Do
At the Workplace Learning Innovation Lab, we’re reimagining what it means to bridge education and workforce development. The lab is a launchpad, combining the resources, network, and innovation of NYU with hands-on, accessible services. We are uniquely positioned to connect students, educators and business partners with our centralized, one-stop approach, making it easier than ever for industry research to shape the future of work and for students to access higher education and graduate workforce-ready.
DAUS Pathways into Degree Programs
We’re expanding access to higher education through programs like the Career Pathways Bridge Program and the Launching Leaders Early College Program. These initiatives ease the transition from high school to college, expand access to applied degree programs, build community and belonging on campus, connect students with industry professionals, and shape new futures for those who need it most.
Learn More about the Career Pathways Bridge Program
NYU Career Compass
This interactive platform combines education with hands-on experience, helping students prepare for their careers through real-world learning. It offers a structured yet flexible space where students can work on real projects from employers, complete case studies, build transferable skills, and get feedback and support from Industry Coaches—providing just-in-time reskilling and upskilling opportunities for workforce readiness.
Partnerships
Through intentional collaboration with government, nonprofits, educational institutions, and community organizations, we’re driving innovation in workforce development. Our partnerships are central to our mission—we’re building an ecosystem where college and career align to create opportunities for everyone. Together, we’re reshaping the future of work.
Co-Research, Upskilling, & Credentialing Initiatives
Whether helping employers build and maintain successful workplace learning programs like apprenticeships, training supervisors to oversee and assess workers’ skill development for college credit, conducting innovative co-research initiatives, or convening industry professionals to continue their education and share best practices, our lab supports those who support the workforce of tomorrow.
Partnership Programs
We partner with global organizations, educators, and industry leaders to co-create research-driven tools, future-ready initiatives, and skills-based learning solutions that advance educational and workforce innovation. Join us in shaping the future of work.
Custom Program Co-Design
Custom Program Co-Design
At the Lab, we design custom learning experiences, workshops, programs, and tools that meet organizations where they are—and help them innovate to where they need to be. From skills-based learning solutions to sector-specific workforce development, our custom programs blend NYU’s academic rigor with hands-on, real-world relevance. Through online, hybrid, or in-person programs, we partner with employers, nonprofits, and government agencies to co-create tailored learning solutions that upskill alongside future-of-work trends and supercharge innovation.
White Papers & Toolkits
White Papers & Toolkits
At the Workplace Learning Innovation Lab, we translate research into action, connecting theory to practice and behavioral change. Our white papers and toolkits are co-created between faculty, students, and industry partners to deliver timely insights and practical frameworks that respond to the rapidly evolving needs of today’s workforce. These resources connect skills-based education, thought leadership, and workforce transformation with ready-to-implement, human-centered frameworks and actionable blueprints that organizations can immediately apply. Designed to inform, inspire, and catalyze, our white papers and toolkits empower stakeholders across sectors with tools for collaboration, innovation, and impact.
United Nations Toolkit Initiative
United Nations Toolkit Initiative
The Innovation Communications Toolkit is a multi-year, grant-funded, co-research initiative in collaboration with the United Nations NewWork innovation unit to advance global workforce transformation through intercultural and cross-cutting communication strategies. This groundbreaking project brings together NYU faculty experts, student scholars, and UN global advisors to co-design open-source practical tools, use cases, and pedagogical guides that empower organizations to lead change with empathy, impact, and innovation. Anchored in key workforce priority areas—such as technological upskilling, change readiness, and intercultural leadership—the digital toolkit offers communication resources and future-ready strategies for the organizations of tomorrow.
Global Leadership Network
The Workforce Innovation Global Leadership Network:
This professional organization dynamically bridges education with real-world, industry-aligned experiences. As an extension of the Lab, this network connects NYU students, alumni, and industry collaborators with short-term project-based initiatives, micro-internships, and organizational innovation sprints in partnership with leading employers, nonprofits, and global institutions. Participants collaborate in small teams to tackle real issues in strategy, communications, or innovation—informed by coaching from faculty mentors and industry advisors, as well as through peer consulting circles, case workshops, and high-impact events. Members grow their professional networks, develop portfolio-ready deliverables, test ideas, and build transformative solutions.
Industry Events & Upskilling Opportunities
Industry Events & Upskilling Opportunities
Our events and workshops are dynamic platforms where education and industry intersect to explore collaboration, innovation, and impact. From thought-provoking symposia and industry roundtables to interdisciplinary faculty-student seminars, and open innovation showcases, we collaborate across sectors and disciplines to activate future-ready solutions.
The Lab in Action
Our Collaborators & Partners in Innovation – Join Us:
Our Team
We understand that higher education can be slow to change, but we’re here to disrupt that. With a forward-thinking mindset, we work closely with our partners to respond quickly, adapt, and prepare students for whatever comes next.
Allyson Margolis
Director, Career Pathways Innovation and Public Policy
Dionne Moseley
Director, Workplace Learning Systems
Raul Sanchez
Director of Partnerships & Clinical Assistant Professor
Rebecca Drossman
Associate Director, Partnerships
James DeCarlo
Program Administrator, Partnerships
