Scaling Education in a New Era of Growth | Woolf

Scaling Education Without Losing the Academic Core

Education providers across the world are navigating a shared challenge: how to expand access and enrollment while maintaining academic rigor, institutional credibility, and durable learner outcomes.

In Woolf’s webinar, Scaling Education in a New Era of Growth, leaders from Woolf, Flatiron School, Udacity, and Oneday discussed how institutions are responding—by integrating skills-based education within accredited degree frameworks rather than treating them as separate paths.

Webinar Panelists

• Frederik du Bois, Director of New Business, Woolf
• Peter Barth, Chief Executive Officer, Flatiron School
• Jared Molton, VP of Consumers, Udacity
• Taras Polik, Founder, Oneday
  
  

Scaling Programs Without Scaling Costs

One of the clearest advantages discussed was the ability to launch accredited programs without dramatically increasing operational overhead.

Jared Molton of Udacity explained how this has impacted Udacity’s ability to reach new learners through their recently launched Masters in AI:

“We’ve been able to stand up net new programs with almost no net new costs… to bring new products to market, address a new customer demographic without adding overhead in the business.”

This ability to scale efficiently is increasingly important for education providers operating in competitive and rapidly changing markets.

While integration still requires thoughtful resourcing, Molton emphasized the importance of institutional support during that process:

“Woolf was fantastic at supporting us and helping customize some of the experience based on what we require as a business.”

Learners Want Faster, More Relevant Pathways

For learners, especially adult and career-switching students, relevance and time-to-completion matter.

Peter Barth, CEO of Flatiron School, described the response from prospective learners to accredited degree pathways aligned with vocational outcomes:

“There’s a lot of curiosity on the idea that I might be able to graduate faster than the typical U.S. degree and get work experience in a way that’s actually focused on where the world’s going… It doesn’t exactly fit the box, but it does check many of the boxes.”

These programs challenge traditional assumptions about what a degree must look like, while still preserving academic legitimacy.

Degrees Still Matter—Especially Over Time

While skills-based hiring continues to grow, the panelists were clear: degrees remain essential for long-term career progression, particularly in senior and specialized roles.

Jared Molton noted:

“There are still jobs out there that require a master’s degree. That has not changed… by pairing the skills that you’re developing with Udacity with a master’s degree, we are unlocking an entire new opportunity for our students.”

This pairing allows learners to benefit from immediate employability while retaining access to advanced roles later in their careers.

Meeting Both Learner and Employer Needs

From Flatiron School’s perspective, accredited degrees have opened new opportunities across multiple audiences—learners, alumni, and enterprise partners.

Peter Barth explained:

“Launching the master’s program allows us to meet both needs… employers want production-level talent tomorrow, but they also want proof of certification or accreditation afterwards.”

The combination of practical, production-level skills with formally recognized academic credentials has become increasingly critical in corporate and professional education. Employers demand immediate capability, but also require verified, transferable proof of learning.

Why Academic Frameworks Matter at Scale

The discussion also addressed structural differences between accreditation systems, particularly the challenges of credit portability in the United States.

Jared Molton highlighted the value of the European framework:

“The United States system itself is very complex… there’s not a standardized accreditation pathway. From our side, we saw the value in the ECTS offering… It is real accreditation.”

Degrees issued under ECTS provide clarity, consistency, and international recognition—reducing friction for learners and employers alike.

Partnership as an Enabler of Scale

The discussion reflected a broader shift in higher education: fast-moving providers no longer need to choose between innovation and accreditation. A modern, globally aligned pathway now exists—one that supports scale, preserves academic integrity, and avoids the constraints of traditional, slow-moving bureaucratic systems.

Taras Polik, Founder of Oneday, reflected:

“It’s been an amazing partnership… one of the best business decisions of the last few years. It was smooth sailing from day one.”

Similarly, Jared Molton emphasized Woolf’s role in enabling rapid execution:

“Woolf has really set up the onboarding for success… we were able to get this out the door pretty quickly.”

And Peter Barth summarized the go-to-market advantage succinctly:

“This is one of the fastest ways to bring a new product to market if you’re thinking about enrollment growth through accredited programs.”

What This Means for Education Providers

For institutions seeking to scale responsibly:

• Skills accelerate entry into the workforce
• Degrees sustain long-term mobility and trust
• Shared academic frameworks enable global recognition

Woolf exists to support institutions at this intersection—providing accreditation, governance, and infrastructure while preserving academic autonomy.

Book a Consultation With Woolf

If you are exploring how to offer globally recognized, accredited degrees while maintaining flexibility and innovation, book a consultation. We’d welcome the opportunity to learn more about your goals and explore whether Woolf is the right partner for your next stage of growth.