On air: Phil Regier shares how ASU is transforming workforce development for Arizona and beyond

During a recent episode of “The Business Of” radio show and podcast — hosted by Zach Yentzer of the Tucson Metro Chamber — Phil Regier, university dean for educational initiatives and CEO of EdPlus, shared how ASU is revolutionizing higher education and workforce development, not only for Arizona but for the nation.

Nearly 20,000 Arizona residents are currently enrolled through ASU Online, including a significant and growing population from Pima County. More than 13,000 ASU alumni are also living and working in the Tucson area, contributing to the region’s economic impact.

Additionally, key local employers, including Banner Health and Tucson Medical Center, have partnered with ASU to expand educational access and support workforce development in the region.

Regier had also recently joined Tucson business and community leaders as a guest speaker at the Chamber’s Good Morning Tucson breakfast, underscoring ASU’s commitment to the region.


With demand for highly skilled labor skyrocketing, ASU is responding by expanding degree programs. Regier told Yentzer — an ASU alumnus himself — that ASU offers over 100 STEM degrees online, including top-demand areas like electrical engineering, software development, nursing and veterinary sciences.

More than a decade ago, the university moved to triple enrollment in its engineering program. That initiative now supports Arizona’s emergence as a semiconductor hub, attracting global giants like Intel and TSMC to invest heavily in the state.

“There were 8,000 engineering students 20 years ago; there are 30,000 today,” Regier said on the April 15 show. “That kind of intentionality changes the future of a region.”

Yentzer emphasized this as “designed change,” in contrast to reactive, piecemeal strategies.

“Great regions look five or 10 years down the road and say, ‘What do we need to do today to create the workforce of the future?'” he said.

ASU Online is a proven path for workforce re-entry for many. More than 100,000 students have graduated through ASU Online, and many — including southern Arizona learners — are adults who had started but not finished college prevoiusly.

“We realized we were excluding a huge segment of potential students — adults with some college, no degree,” Regier explained.

That group now numbers 40 million in the U.S. alone, often sidelined from career advancement by life circumstances, not lack of ability.

To reach them, ASU has built innovative partnerships that remove financial and logistical barriers to education.

One example is ASU’s partnership with Starbucks through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which allows eligible partners (employees) to earn their degrees online with 100% upfront tuition coverage.

“We’ve graduated over 15,000 Starbucks partners, with average post-grad salaries between $70,000 and $80,000,” Regier said. 

Other companies have since adopted the model, such as a recently announced partnership with Major League Baseball.

Beyond degrees, EdPlus, the innovative arm of ASU that Regier leads, is pushing boundaries further. From a master’s program built in partnership with the World War II Museum in New Orleans to an online platform connecting 70,000 African youth in workforce development, EdPlus is using digital tools to reshape global education access.

As the conversation drew to a close, Regier reflected on the broader mission: “This is about giving people a chance, a lifeline and unlocking potential, not just for individuals, but for communities, industries and the future.”

To learn more, listen to the full episode of “The Business Of.”