The University of Nevada, Las Vegas drew attention in recent years with its rollout of a gaming laboratory, and while some people looked at it as a waste of academic resources, UNLV touted the addition as an appropriate response to an industry annually grossing billions and growing. This is the kind of approach institutions should consider in answering the call from elected officials and corporations that are eager to hire entry-level and credentialed talent, but have increasing doubts about how well higher education helps students to be work-ready upon graduation. Specialized degrees and training programs often invite investment from corporate partners, like the University of Hawaii System's workforce pipeline partnership with a green energy development company and community colleges offering manufacturing technology programs. And with these investments, governing bodies scramble to find ways to support such programs so that they can move closer to self-supporting offerings, which helps in reducing public spending.