Along with research excellence, effective science communication is an essential skill needed by the science workforce of tomorrow. To engage more effectively across disciplinary boundaries and at the interface of science and society, next-generation scientists must be ready to recognize the “so what” of their science and be equipped to share it with varied audiences using many diverse channels. However, building systemic communications capacity will require academy-wide buy-in and changes in the funding mechanisms that support graduate education. In 2013, COMPASS conducted a survey of existing communications training opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduate students and convened a workshop to explore how to systemically improve the quantity and quality of such training. This session builds upon the findings of the workshop by setting the stage for STEM graduate education at a crossroads; discussing communication capacity as a core professional component necessary in a changing workforce; introducing the challenge of scaling, including aligning expectations of core communication competencies and evaluation techniques, along with ensuring connectivity between people and institutions; and providing case studies as examples of how large-scale change might occur. The material presented will motivate a discussion on how to move forward, integrating panel feedback with ideas for actionable steps from audience members.