Top Digital Workforce Platforms for Higher Ed

In today’s fast-paced job market, higher education institutions are not just responsible for delivering degrees — they must also equip students with the skills, experiences, and connections to succeed in the workforce. Digital workforce platforms are becoming essential tools in bridging the gap between education and employment, giving students real-world exposure and empowering universities to track and enhance career readiness outcomes.

Here’s a curated list of the top digital workforce platforms transforming higher education in 2025.

1. Handshake

Overview:
Handshake remains the leading career services platform for higher education, connecting students directly with employers through personalized job listings and virtual events.

Key Features:

• Tailored job and internship recommendations
  
  
• Virtual career fairs and on-campus events
  
  
• Seamless integration with university career centers
  
  
• Direct employer-student communication
  

Why It Stands Out:
Its powerful employer network and user-friendly interface make Handshake the preferred choice for more than 1,400 universities and countless employers worldwide.

2. Element451

Overview:
Element451 is an advanced student engagement CRM that goes beyond admissions, offering personalized communication and career path guidance to help students successfully transition from enrollment to employment.

Key Features:

• AI-powered student engagement and messaging
  
  
• Personalized career journey mapping
  
  
• Integrated analytics on student behaviors and outcomes
  
  
• Mobile-friendly and intuitive user experience
  

Why It Stands Out:
Element451 isn’t just a CRM — it’s a student success accelerator. By leveraging AI-driven insights, it helps institutions provide tailored support throughout a student’s lifecycle, including the crucial transition to the workforce. It’s an ideal solution for schools looking to deeply personalize career services and engagement at scale.

3. Pymetrics (now Harver)

Overview:
Pymetrics uses gamified assessments and AI to match students with careers based on cognitive and emotional traits, rather than just experience or major.

Key Features:

• Neuroscience-based games
  
  
• Bias-reducing job-matching algorithms
  
  
• Career pathway recommendations
  
  
• AI-powered hiring tools
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
It offers a student-centric approach that focuses on potential and fit, helping students uncover career paths aligned with their personal strengths.

4. Parker Dewey

Overview:
Parker Dewey is the pioneer of the micro-internship model, connecting students to short-term, project-based work that builds skills and real-world experience.

Key Features:

• Flexible, paid micro-internships
  
  
• Accessible to students across all majors
  
  
• No lengthy hiring processes
  
  
• Supports diverse, inclusive hiring
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
It’s an excellent entry point for students to build resumes while managing class schedules, providing immediate exposure to professional work without the commitment of full internships.

5. Suitable

Overview:
Suitable offers a gamified student engagement platform that tracks participation in co-curricular and skill-building activities.

Key Features:

• Skill and competency tracking
  
  
• Leaderboards and gamification elements
  
  
• Mobile-first experience
  
  
• Real-time data for administrators
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
Suitable makes skill development visible and measurable, turning co-curricular involvement into a competitive advantage for students entering the job market.

6. Forage

Overview:
Forage partners with global companies to offer free, virtual job simulations that replicate day-to-day tasks in real industries.

Key Features:

• Virtual work experiences from top companies
  
  
• Self-paced, accessible to all students
  
  
• Career certificates upon completion
  
  
• Prepares students for interviews and job expectations
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
Forage is one of the fastest ways for students to explore industries and roles without a formal internship, bridging classroom learning with employer expectations.

7. Symplicity

Overview:
Symplicity delivers a comprehensive suite of career services, student success tracking, and disability management tools.

Key Features:

• Career center management
  
  
• Alumni engagement and employer connections
  
  
• Real-time data dashboards
  
  
• Appointment and event scheduling
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
Symplicity’s all-in-one ecosystem makes it easy for institutions to track student progress from enrollment to employment, simplifying reporting and career services workflows.

8. Riipen

Overview:
Riipen brings real-world projects into the classroom by connecting faculty and students with companies to solve practical business challenges.

Key Features:

• Project-based learning experiences
  
  
• Employer partnerships embedded in coursework
  
  
• Automated matching between schools and companies
  
  
• Skill tracking and employer feedback
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
Riipen seamlessly integrates experiential learning into the academic curriculum, offering scalable, project-based work for all students regardless of location.

9. PeopleGrove

Overview:
PeopleGrove connects students, alumni, faculty, and employers to foster mentoring relationships and expand career opportunities.

Key Features:

• Mentorship and networking communities
  
  
• Career exploration hubs
  
  
• Employer and alumni engagement tools
  
  
• Customizable success dashboards
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
By tapping into alumni networks and employer partnerships, PeopleGrove makes career support highly relational and community-driven.

10. Emsi Burning Glass (Lightcast)

Overview:
Lightcast provides labor market analytics to ensure academic programs align with current and future workforce demands.

Key Features:

• Real-time job market data
  
  
• Skill gap and job demand analysis
  
  
• Regional and national labor insights
  
  
• Supports program development and adjustment
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
With its powerful data tools, Lightcast helps institutions make data-informed decisions about academic offerings and equips students with in-demand, marketable skills.

11. SkillSurvey

Overview:
SkillSurvey collects feedback from employers, supervisors, and mentors to create skill-based profiles that students can showcase to future employers.

Key Features:

• Automated reference checking
  
  
• Competency-based career portfolios
  
  
• Verified skills evidence
  
  
• Integration with career services platforms
  
  

Why It Stands Out:
SkillSurvey adds credibility to student portfolios, offering third-party validation of the competencies employers care about most.

Final Thoughts

As the higher education landscape evolves, student success can no longer stop at graduation. Platforms like Element451, Handshake, Riipen, and Forage are transforming how institutions prepare students for the workforce, blending technology, real-world experience, and personalized support.

From AI-powered engagement to micro-internships and virtual job simulations, these digital workforce platforms provide essential bridges from campus to career. Whether you're a college administrator, a career services professional, or a student looking to gain a competitive edge, adopting these solutions can significantly impact employability and long-term success.

What digital workforce tools is your campus using? Share your experience and help expand this conversation.