# University of Phoenix Career Institute®

Our Career Institute was established to empower all workers and learners by addressing career barriers through research-driven solutions and meaningful partnerships.

## Celebrating 5 years of impact and counting

## Driving research for career advancement

Housed within the University's College of Doctoral Studies, the Institute conducts impactful research and collaborates with leading organizations such as [Jobs for the Future (JFF) ](https://www.jff.org/), [Motherly ](https://www.mother.ly/) and the [Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) ](https://ruralinnovation.us/) to explore broad and persistent barriers to career growth. Through annual initiatives like the Career Optimism Index®study and targeted reports in our Career Optimism Special Report™Series, the Institute delivers actionable insights on relevant topics, including the challenges of dual caregiving, career barriers in rural America and the disconnect in skills-based hiring practices.

CAREER OPTIMISM INDEX®

## A comprehensive study of American workers’ career perceptions

The 2025 Career Optimism Index®study reveals a workforce struggling with record-high burnout, declining autonomy, and widespread workplace discontent. Despite these challenges, employers continue to prioritize external hires over investing in their existing teams, overlooking the potential of their workforce. This approach leaves both workers and organizations grappling with stalled growth and unaddressed skills gaps.

### What workers are saying

Nearly 86% of surveyed workers are actively seeking skill development opportunities, yet 43% report lacking access to necessary training programs.

### Benefits of AI in the workplace

Workers who use AI are significantly more likely to feel hopeful about their careers (89% vs. 78%), experience a sense of autonomy in their job (65% vs. 49%) and report better work-life balance (81% vs. 74%). These differences underscore AI's powerful potential to enhance skill development and strengthen career resilience.

### What employers can do

Amid rising challenges, workers remain eager to take charge of their future careers, with 86% actively seeking skill development opportunities.  

Employers can harness this drive by investing in upskilling and integrating AI-focused training, which 68% recognize as valuable for their workforce. Supporting internal talent through these efforts not only addresses critical skills gaps but also enhances resilience and reduces burnout, fostering long-term business growth.

[View the 2025 index](/career-institute/career-optimism-index.html)[View infographic (PDF)](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/career-optimism-infographic-2025.pdf)
### Special report series

Building on our Career Optimism Index findings, our special reports provide in-depth insights into key challenges impacting American workers today, offering actionable strategies and solutions to drive meaningful change.

## ILLUSION OF PROGRESS IN SKILLS-BASED HIRING

### Skills often get lost in translation during hiring

The_Career Optimism Special Report™ Series: The Illusion of Progress in Skills-Based Hiring_identifies a critical disconnect in today’s job market: while employers are largely moving towards skills-based models, most organizations lack the tools to assess those skills effectively, highlighting an urgent need for better hiring practices.

[View skills report](/career-institute/illusion-of-progress-in-skills-based-hiring.html)
## MOMS IN THE SANDWICH GENERATION 

### Dual caregivers face career-limiting pressure

Produced in partnership with Motherly, the_Career Optimism Special Report™ Series: Moms in the Sandwich Generation_, reveals critical insights on the career cost of dual caregiving and the imperative for increased employer support to serve the fastest-growing employee segment in the U.S.

[View moms report](/career-institute/sandwich-generation.html)
## Generating rural opportunities in the workplace

### Report reveals keys to rural America's future

Workers living in rural America are more likely to feel held back in their career because of where they live, compared to their nonrural counterparts. The Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workplace™ (G.R.O.W.™) report explores this reality and opportunities to improve future progress.

[View G.R.O.W.™ report](/career-institute/generating-rural-opportunities-workforce.html)
More insights about career perceptions

## In the news

[Half of moms in the "sandwich generation" say they've left jobs due to caregiving roles](https://www.hrdive.com/news/caregiver-employee-benefits/749650/)  
_HR Dive_

[University of Phoenix study reveals top career frustrations in 2025](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2025/04/08/university-of-phoenix-study-reveals-top-career-frustrations-in-2025/)   
_Forbes_

[What’s On Tap For The Workplace In 2025?](https://allwork.space/2025/01/whats-on-tap-for-the-workplace-in-2025/)  
_Allwork.Space_

[See more news](/media-center/in-the-news.html)
## White papers

[Addressing the Persistent Digital Divide and AI Access in Rural Workforce Development](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2026/rural-digital-divide-smith.pdf)

[Rebuilding the Social Contract](content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2026/rebuilding-social-contract-fuller-lender.pdf)

[Engaging the Overextended: Designing Higher Education for Women Balancing Care, Work, and Learning](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2026/designing-higher-education-overextended-sylvester.pdf)

[Burnout and Autonomy in the Modern Workforce: The Role of AI-Driven Skilling in Equity and Resilience](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/burnout-autonomy-r-reed.pdf)

### Archive

[Reclaiming Control: Autonomy as the Key to Workforce Resilience and Career Optimism](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/reclaiming-control-workforce-resilience-k-johnson.pdf)

[Recovering from Burnout Through Mentoring](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2025/recovering-burnout-mentoring-harris-sessoms-penny.pdf)

[Autonomy and Competitive Edge: Mentorship as a Solution](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/mentorship-underdahl.pdf)

[Reinventing Productivity: Aligning AI Innovation with Human Potential in the Modern Workforce](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/reinventing-productivity-sylvester.pdf)

[Rural Schooling Characteristics](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2025/rural-schools-lane.pdf)

[Designing Workforce Resilience](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2025/workforce-resilience-rhymes.pdf)

[Complexity Leadership and the Rise of Nepotism](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2025/complexity-leadership-nepotism.pdf)

[Leadership Imperatives to Overcome Talent Stagnation](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/career-institute/2025/leadership-imperatives-talent-lawlor.pdf)

[Economic Influence of AI on Career Optimism](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/career-institute/2025/economic-influence-ai-career-optimism-marquis-blake.pdf)

[The Resilience Factor: American Workforce's Adaptation to Ongoing Challenges](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/career-institute/2025/resilience-factor-k-johnson.pdf)

[Overcoming Talent Stagnation: Enhancing Skills for Marketability](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/career-institute/2024/overcoming-talent-stagnation-fuller-lender.pdf)

[Overcoming Barriers: Helping Working Moms Overcome Obstacles](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2024/overcoming-obstacles-moms-tamika-fuller.pdf)[Can Leaders’ Grit and Passion Spread Organizational Toxicity?](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-leadership/2024/grit-passion-lang-hines.pdf)[Psychological Capital: Impact of Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism on Employee Retention](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2024/082024-psychological-capital-impact-j-taylor.pdf)[Think Global, Act Local: The Impact of a Global Mindset to Awaken Local Career Opportunities](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-leadership/2024/think-global-e-bean.pdf)[Empathetic Leadership: Transforming Workplaces with Compassion and Understanding](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2024/082024-empathetic-leadership-goods-mccalla-langford.pdf)[Recruiting and Retaining Millennials and Gen Zs in the Workplace](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2024/062024-recruiting-retaining-millennials-genz-jterrell.pdf)[Invisible Labor: An Examination of the Perceptions of Moms in the Workplace](https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/workplace-diversity-inclusion/2024/062024-invisible-labor-taylor.pdf)[Mothers’ Plights to Protect their Children and the Impact on Workplace Performance](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/organizational-wellness/2024/flores-blake-mothers-protect-children-workplace.pdf)[Unlocking Potential: The transferability of skills from Motherhood to the Workplace](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2024/mom-report-motherhood-skills-s-smith.pdf)[Advancing Careers through Inclusive Support and Collaboration](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2024/advancing-careers-inclusive-support-collaboration-fa-taylor.pdf)[Thought Leadership in Skills: Skill Sets, Graduate Employability, and Next Steps](/content/dam/edu/research/doc/white-papers/educational-instructional-technology/2024/thought-leadership-skills-underdahl-etal.pdf)[How Support Systems Contribute to Increased Retention in the Workplace](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/support-systems-workplace-fuller.pdf)[Remain or resign? Workplace attitudes 2020-2023](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/workplace-attitudes-kearns-sixsmith.pdf)[Underrepresented Americans: How The Pandemic Rooted Societal Barriers and Derailed Career Trajectories](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/underrepresented-americans-career-trajectories-lang-hines.pdf)[Skills-based Education: Shifting the Focus of Higher Education](/content/dam/edu/media-center/doc/whitepapers/skill-based-education-shifting-focus-higher-ed-institutions_kebritchi.pdf)[Building Professional Connections and Networking to Enhance Social Capital](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/building-professional-connections-social-capital-sessoms-penny.pdf)[Skills Development of American Workers in the Post Pandemic Era using Employee Resource Groups](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/skills-employee-resource-groups-lawlor.pdf)[Burnout as a Cause for Job Dissatisfaction](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/burnout-banton-garza.pdf)[The American Workforce’s Health Card: Well-Being and Career Trajectories](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/american-workforce-health-card-johnson-lang-hines.pdf)[Developing a Sense of Belonging for African American Women in the Workplace](content/dam/edu/media-center/doc/whitepapers/developing-sense-of-belonging-african-american-women-workplace.pdf)[Higher Perceptions and the Psychological Importance of Career Control in Determining Career Outcomes](content/dam/edu/media-center/doc/whitepapers/career-control-bean.pdf)[Beyond Keeping American Workers Current: Roadmaps for Career Progression](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/roadmaps-career-progression-underdahl.pdf)[American Workers’ Mental Health and Its Implications in Their Careers](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/american-workers-mental-health-implications-careers-kjohnson.pdf)[The Role of Demographics in American Workers’ Career Optimism](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/role-demographics-american-workers-career-optimism-epstein-etal.pdf)[The American Workforce: From the Great Resignation to the Great Retention](content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/from-great-resignation-fuller-lang.pdf)[Who is Responsible for Employee Well-Being? The Role of Employers and Resourcing for the Mental Health of their Employees](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/who-is-responsible-for-employee-wellbeing-luster.pdf)[Supporting the Mental and Emotional Health of Nurses within the Hospital Setting](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/supporting-mental-emotional-health-nurses-hospital.pdf)[Belonging: A New Era in Diversity Management Strategy](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/belonging-underwood-final-formatted.pdf)[Online Education and American Workers' Perceptions](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/online-education-and-american-workers-perceptions-lawlor.pdf)[Reskilling and Upskilling: Ways to Prepare and Rehire American Workers](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/reskilling-and-upskilling-mkebritchi-june-10-2022.pdf)[Aligning Employer and Employee Perspectives](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/aligning-employer-and-employee-perspectives-on-successful-and-sustainable-work-and-life-balance-ssp-2022-coi.pdf)[American Workers' Reasons for Switching Jobs](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/white-paper-reasons-for-switching-jobs-2022-underdahl.pdf)[Career Perception of American Workers and Their Emotional States](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/career-perception-american-workers-emotional-states-underdahl.pdf)[Paychecks and the Pandemic: Perceptions by Income Level](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/white-paper-paychecks-and-the-pandemic-sixsmith.pdf)[Reconnecting with Self and Outside Activities Add to Career Enjoyment, Happiness Levels](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/reconnecting-with-self-and-outside-activities-bean.pdf)[Collaborative and Strategic Planning to Meet the Needs of a Multigenerational Workforce and the Organization](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/white-paper-generations-sessoms-penny.pdf)[Embracing the New Normal: Recruiting and Retaining K-12 Teachers Post-Pandemic](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/recruiting-and-retaining-k-12-teachers-post-pandemic.pdf)[Covid-19 effects on work-life balance for working parents, military workers, and veterans](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/covid-19-effects-on-work-life-balance-for-working-parents-military-workers-and-veterans.pdf)[Women and Lifelong Employability](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/women-and-lifelong-employability.pdf)[Career Perception of American Workers: Career Statuses During the Pandemic](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/career-perception-of-american-workers-davidson.pdf)[Career Pathways: Engineering Your Career to Last Decades](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/career-pathways-vitale-formatted.pdf)[The Covid-19 Pandemic's Impact on the Job Market Across U.S. Major Metropolitan Areas: American Workers' Perceptions](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/job-market-geographical-impact-of-pandemic-mkebritchi-2-25-21.pdf)[The Impact of a Phenomenon: Women and Minorities in the Workforce and the Gender Wage Gap](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/uopx-career-index-whitepaper-sanders.pdf)[Women of Color: A Summary of Higher Education and Career Experiences](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/uopx-career-index-whitepaper-woc.pdf)[Managing the Stress Arc: Using Evidenced Based Cognitive Strategies for Training Employees in Industry to Deal with Large Scale Disaster and Rapid Change](/content/dam/edu/career-institute/doc/uopx-career-index-whitepaper-luster.pdf)
## Provost and Chief Academic Officer John Woods discusses the work of the University of Phoenix Career Institute®

## A message from University of Phoenix Provost & Chief Academic Officer John Woods

×  
0:00 Hi, I'm Dr. John Woods, provost 0:03 and Chief Academic Officer at University of Phoenix. 0:06 Here we know firsthand through our work 0:09 with diverse adult student populations 0:11 and with employers 0:13 that the career landscape is rapidly changing and evolving. 0:17 While our own research 0:18 through the Career Optimism Index shows that the majority 0:21 of American workers remain hopeful about their careers, 0:25 the tumult of the past several years has created a myriad 0:28 of unprecedented challenges 0:30 for the American workers path towards career advancement, 0:34 and particularly for those who face systemic barriers. 0:38 At University of Phoenix, we have served the adult learner 0:41 for almost 50 years, helping to ignite their human potential 0:45 by building bridges to opportunity. 0:48 This is why in March, 2021, we announced the launch 0:52 of the University of Phoenix Career Institute. Housed within 0:56 our College of Doctoral studies, 0:58 The institute focuses on research to inform problem solving 1:01 around the workplace and career challenges, 1:05 and to forge partnerships with others who seek 1:07 to break down the barriers 1:09 and obstacles Americans face in their careers. 1:12 The Institute's mission is guided 1:14 by the findings from our annual Career Optimism Index, 1:17 the most comprehensive study of its kind 1:20 that identifies career barriers so that institutions know 1:24 how to solve for these. 1:26 And these insights inform our partnerships, allowing us 1:29 to develop cross industry strategies 1:31 to help strengthen the American workforce. 1:34 So why create the Career Institute? 1:36 Because the complex challenges facing American workers today 1:40 require complex solutions. 1:43 While there is much to be optimistic about, 1:45 there is still work to be done to address the skills gap, 1:48 a lack of mentorship opportunities, financial pressures, 1:52 and mental health challenges plaguing the 1:55 American workforce. 1:57 While we work to help students 1:58 with these challenges every day, 2:00 the Career Institute will help us leverage our own expertise 2:04 as a university committed 2:05 to helping working adult students achieve their education 2:08 and career goals while connecting with like-minded partners 2:13 to scale potential solutions to barriers they may face. 2:17 Thank you for your interest in the University 2:19 of Phoenix Career Institute. 2:21 We look forward to keeping you informed 2:23 and engaged in what we learned about barriers 2:26 to career success through research 2:29 and how we can work together to help remove these obstacles 2:32 and help foster career success for all. 2:36 Be well.
### For more information

To learn more about University of Phoenix Career Institute®or the Career Optimism Index®, please contact us at[careerinstitute@phoenix.edu](mailto:careerinstitute@phoenix.edu).