Redefining Student Success: From Graduation to Employment

Why This Moment Matters

The national job market is sending mixed signals that no longer align with reality. Federal reports continue to highlight “job growth,” yet the numbers reveal something very different. In August 2025, only about 22,000 jobs were added—far below the 150,000–250,000 monthly average that defines a healthy economy. At the same time, more than 1.1 million layoffs have already been announced this year, the highest since the Great Recession.

Behind the headlines, employers are quietly freezing positions and scaling back new hires. Less than half of posted roles are being filled within six months, and many remain open indefinitely due to budget cuts and hiring moratoriums. The illusion of opportunity hides a stalled labor market where both recent graduates and experienced professionals struggle to transition into stable employment.

The unemployment rate appears deceptively low because millions have stopped looking for work altogether. Labor-force participation has dropped to its lowest levels in decades, masking the true scale of underemployment. Higher education cannot continue defining success as crossing the graduation stage when the pathways to sustainable employment have all but collapsed.What the Data Shows:
Each metric below reveals a growing disconnect between reported job growth and lived economic reality.

The IF.Marcus Solution

Higher education doesn’t need another internship—it needs a shared pathway to employment.The IF.Marcus Model positions educational institutions and employers as co-pilots, sharing equal responsibility for workforce outcomes. Both sectors are either actively participating in or seeking participation through existing state and federal On-the-Job Training (OJT) funding systems — such as WIOA, Perkins V, the CA Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), Regional Centers, and CWDB Accelerator 13.IIF.Marcus LLC serves as the bridge-maker, integrating these parallel systems through a Person-Centered Planning (PCP) framework modeled after Vanderbilt’s evidence-based approach to individualized goal setting and systems navigation. This structure aligns with the CSU Initiative 2025 vision for personalized education pathways—connecting each learner’s academic plan, support network, and career outcome within a coordinated system. How it works:

IF.Marcus LLC does not distribute OJT funding—it operationalizes the collaboration that makes those programs deliver measurable results.“When education and industry share the driver’s seat, accessibility and employability become one system.”

The Populations We Serve

Equity must go beyond access — it must lead to employability. IF.Marcus LLC focuses on Student-Parents and Students with Disabilities, two populations that sit at the intersection of California’s most urgent equity priorities. These students balance caregiving, coursework, and financial strain, yet remain deeply motivated to complete their education and contribute to the state’s economy.

Within these groups are first-generation, transfer, veteran, Tribal, and students of color — the very demographics driving CSU’s diversity mission. Many already qualify for state-funded OJT programs, yet universities rarely leverage these existing pathways. Serving them isn’t charity — it’s strategy. They are the backbone of California’s future workforce, and investing in their success means strengthening the economy as a whole.

The Pilot Launch — Proof of Concept

Innovation begins with proof. The first IF.Marcus pilot will launch at a California State University (CSU) campus, integrating paid On-the-Job Training (OJT) directly into student-parent and disability support systems. This pilot will measure employment placement, retention, and wage growth—demonstrating that employability can coexist within higher education.

The project directly supports the CSU’s 2025 "Skills and Networks Initiative, which calls for every student to gain real-world, paid experience before graduation. IF.Marcus LLC operationalizes that vision by aligning state-funded OJT programs with campus infrastructure, creating a replicable model that can expand across the CSU system.

The Founder’s Vision — Credibility & Purpose

Lived experience is the foundation of innovation. As a California State University graduate, I experienced the reality that many face after earning their degree — overqualified for yesterday’s industry, under-qualified for today’s, and left navigating a system that celebrates graduation yet fails to deliver employment.From that experience, I transitioned from student leader to systems innovator, building what I once needed: a bridge between education and meaningful work.IF.Marcus LLC was founded to realign the education-to-employment pathway through structured, funded partnerships that connect students, employers, and public workforce systems. Our mission is to turn collaboration into measurable outcomes—where every participant, from university to employer, contributes to a sustainable model of accessibility, accountability, and long-term employability. Highlights of the Journey:

“I built what was needed when the support system failed to exist.”