How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning

<div class="header alignfull header--article has-background has-tonal-black-background-color"> <div class="header__layout"> <div class="header__content"> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-category"> Podcasts, and Videos</div></div></div> <h1 class="header__title">Archives</h1> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="favorite-block"> <button class="favorite" data-id="318780" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" /></svg></button></div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--date"> September 8, 2026</div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-program_tax"> UpSkill America, and Economic Opportunities Program</div></div></div> </div> </div> <figure class="header__media" role="presentation"> </figure> </div> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HR-J4ToMJBo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-00f60e24 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://youtu.be/HR-J4ToMJBo">Watch Video<span class="wp-block-button__effect"></span></a></div> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://pod.link/1503944129/episode/ZmQ2NGEwNzktZWEzMi00MzZjLWJmYzUtNjczNmNhOTM2NDQ2">Listen to Podcast<span class="wp-block-button__effect"></span></a></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Many employers want to help workers build new skills, advance into better jobs, and meet evolving business needs, but the systems designed to support employer-provided education benefits can be difficult to navigate. Longstanding tax policies like Section 127 and Section 132 offer employers important tools for expanding access to education and training, yet outdated limits and administrative confusion can prevent these benefits from reaching the workers who could use them most.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">In this interview, Chelsea Miller of Upskill America speaks with Nick Greif of InStride about how employers can design education benefits that are more accessible, strategic, and aligned with workforce goals. Their conversation covers changes coming to Section 127 in 2027, how employers can think about related tax policies, common misconceptions about education benefit programs, and practical ways to build programs that support both business needs and workers’ economic mobility.</p> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"></div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-wash-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <h2 id="h-about-upskill-america" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">About UpSkill America</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/upskill-america/">UpSkill America</a>, an initiative of the Economic Opportunities Program, supports employers and workforce organizations to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America’s front-line workers.</p> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-light-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-about-the-economic-opportunities-program">About the Economic Opportunities Program</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Aspen Institute <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a> advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.</p> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-background-color has-background 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svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-left" role="img" focusable="false" height="0" width="0"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-left"/></svg> </button> <button type="button" class="card-slider__go card-slider__go--forward" aria-label="Next"> <svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-right" role="img" focusable="false" height="0" width="0"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-right"/></svg> </button> </div> <div class="card-slider__content"><div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-workforce-of-the-future-starts-with-adult-basic-education/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1081" height="681" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-15-at-4.53.41-PM.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="The Workforce of the Future Starts with Adult Basic 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focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>September 16, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/haley-glover/">Haley Glover</a></li><li class="dyn-card__person">Sharon Bonney</li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/foundational-skills-early-insights-from-employers-and-providers/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1001" height="1500" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/GettyImages-626469398-1001x1500.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Foundational Skills: Early Insights from Employers and Providers" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Publications</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/foundational-skills-early-insights-from-employers-and-providers/">Foundational Skills: Early Insights from Employers and Providers</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="318971" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>September 14, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/how-tax-policy-can-help-employers-expand-access-to-learning/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/UpSkill-Nick-Greif-Interview-Card.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Podcasts</span> <span>Videos</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/how-tax-policy-can-help-employers-expand-access-to-learning/">How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">In this interview, Chelsea Miller of Upskill America speaks with Nick Greif of InStride about how employers can design education benefits that are more accessible, strategic, and aligned with workforce goals.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="318780" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>September 8, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/adult-working-learners-vote-with-their-feet-what-employers-are-learning-about-foundational-skills/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GettyImages-2182998150-1500x1000.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Adult Working Learners Vote With Their Feet: What Employers Are Learning About Foundational Skills" style="object-position:56% 42%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/adult-working-learners-vote-with-their-feet-what-employers-are-learning-about-foundational-skills/">Adult Working Learners Vote With Their Feet: What Employers Are Learning About Foundational Skills</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Putting people at the center of the systems we are building means accepting that career paths are rarely linear. It requires us to build infrastructure that accommodates life transitions, recognizes informal learning, and values a worker&#8217;s agency over their own data. </div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="308996" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>September 1, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/the-impact-of-foundational-skills-on-workforce-success/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1041" height="701" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-25-at-3.25.31-PM.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="The Impact of Foundational Skills on Workforce Success" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Podcasts</span> <span>Videos</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/the-impact-of-foundational-skills-on-workforce-success/">The Impact of Foundational Skills on Workforce Success</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">This is the final event in our Job Quality in Practice series. In this conversation, hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on May 7, 2026, we hear from the Institute’s Job Quality Fellows who are embedding job quality into their work across a range of contexts and strategies — from employee ownership models that give workers a direct financial stake in their company&#8217;s success, to apprenticeship programs that create structured pathways to higher-wage careers, to worker advisory committees that bring employee voice into business decision-making.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="306850" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>August 25, 2026</time></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/making-skills-first-work-for-small-businesses/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="791" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GettyImages-2265572165-1500x791.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Making Skills-First Work for Small Businesses" style="object-position:56% 42%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/making-skills-first-work-for-small-businesses/">Making Skills-First Work for Small Businesses</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Putting people at the center of the systems we are building means accepting that career paths are rarely linear. It requires us to build infrastructure that accommodates life transitions, recognizes informal learning, and values a worker&#8217;s agency over their own data. </div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="291881" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>August 18, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li><li class="dyn-card__person">Ebony D. Thomas</li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/ai-decisions-are-workforce-decisions/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-503870858-1500x1001.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="AI Decisions are Workforce Decisions" style="object-position:38% 19%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/ai-decisions-are-workforce-decisions/">AI Decisions are Workforce Decisions</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Back to where we started, AI is not creating one future. It is opening up several. Which one gets created may depend on whether the people closest to the work bring their voice, and name what no one else is naming.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="280110" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 30, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chris-huyck-trout/">Chris Huyck Trout</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/people-at-the-center-how-we-think-about-designing-systems-change-for-impact/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-2133993642-1500x1000.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="People at the Center – How We Think About Designing Systems Change for Impact" style="object-position:56% 42%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/people-at-the-center-how-we-think-about-designing-systems-change-for-impact/">People at the Center &#8211; How We Think About Designing Systems Change for Impact</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Putting people at the center of the systems we are building means accepting that career paths are rarely linear. It requires us to build infrastructure that accommodates life transitions, recognizes informal learning, and values a worker&#8217;s agency over their own data. </div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="269588" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 21, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-about-this-post">About This Post</h2> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-people-authors">People/Authors</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-series">Series</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-programs">Programs</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/upskill-america/">UpSkill America</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-tags">Tags</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-topics">Topics</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/topic/economic-opportunity/">Economic Opportunity</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-impact-areas">Impact Areas</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/impact-area/economic-opportunity/">Economic Opportunity</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-content-categories">Content Categories</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/category/podcasts/">Podcasts</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/category/videos/">Videos</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/how-tax-policy-can-help-employers-expand-access-to-learning/">How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org">Aspen Institute</a>.</p>