The rise of CTE

“There is a huge need for workers in entry-level jobs in fast-growing industries like healthcare,” says Dr. Fardad Fateri, president and CEO of International Education Corporation (IEC), a national provider of career education programs.

The growing divide between the skills acquired in the traditional higher education experience and the skills that are needed in the available careers has driven a renewed interest in, and support for, CTE programs. These programs offer shorter routes to a degree (often in less than 10 months), lower costs, and a tighter focus on landing a job right out of school. These factors have driven public interest in the CTE sphere; in 2018 alone, state legislatures passed 85 CTE bills, and, at the federal level, congress reauthorized the 2006 Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which gives the states more control over more than a billion dollars in grants aimed at CTE programs. This benefits people who never considered a four-year college an affordable option — in terms of time or money — but who nevertheless want to pursue a degree that grants them access to a rewarding and lucrative career.

More than just a degree

To fulfill these potential benefits, Dr. Fateri believes short-term career training programs must offer a few key aspects: career advising, and hands-on experience through externships or apprenticeships and faculty active in their field.

“At IEC, we consider externships to be an important part of the curriculum,” Fateri says. “The students get to apply what they’ve learned in a real work environment with an employer who may ultimately hire them.” These types of programs offer a huge advantage; the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that a staggering 91 percent of apprentices find employment after they complete their program, with an average starting salary of $60,000.

Fateri stresses that students considering a CTE program should look for schools that offer career counseling “from the beginning,” but also notes that they should choose programs that employ instructors who are also practitioners in their field with significant experience, as this allows them to acquire real-world, relevant skills in their chosen field.

These real-world elements are important to the new generation of students, says Dina H., a student in the Pharmacy Technician program at IEC’s UEI College. “We get time in the lab to work on our skills every day. The classes are small enough to allow for one-on-one time with the instructors and the instructors are professionals in the fields they teach.” Kaitlyn L, studying to be a Pharmacy Technician at IEC’s Florida Career College shares, “The part about the program I love is the hands-on learning aspect — the simple fact that I can get a first-hand real-life example and experience of what is to come.”

In an educational climate shadowed by debt and a job market undergoing a fundamental transformation towards middle-skill positions, CTE programs offer clear rewards with lower costs. “Our students want to build a future they can be proud of,” Dr. Fateri says. “We take that responsibility very seriously.”For more information about these programs visit www.ieccolleges.com.

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Sue Diseker Sabat

CEO, BocaVox

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

Students have different learning styles and goals for why they attend college. If their adviser utilizes an individualized learning plan and uploads it to the student’s file in the institution’s management system so both can refer back to it and update it throughout the student’s academic life, it can provide a roadmap to help them reach their goals. Documenting goals helps students commit to them.

What challenges do colleges and universities have when changing their infrastructure to ensure student and institutional success? 

Because each institution has different ways of operating, an infrastructure change is always challenging. The key to a successful system transition is to have at least one fully dedicated resource who is familiar with the institution’s processes. A project manager must have excellent communication and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize needs.

How does data inform strategic decision-making for college and university leaders? 

Admission, attendance, grades, and data from satisfaction surveys all help predict drop-out or graduation rates; disciplinary actions, data from media and student/faculty communications can inform decisions to avoid potential acts of violence; and course request data can inform hiring decisions and the need for an increase/decrease in courses to offer. 

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2020 and how important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing the higher education experience?

Key focus of institutions for 2020 are maintaining or increasing enrollment numbers with clever recruitment efforts: offering up-to-date courses based on career trends, staying current on social media, offering social events and presentations that cater to the preferences of targeted student populations, and continuing to do research that will contribute to a kinder, healthier world.

Charlie Moran

Sr. Partner and CEO, Moran Technology Consulting

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

Each student arrives with different background, goals, resources, and challenges. If we really want to help our students, we have to holistically consider these differences to provide personalized help that really helps. Bulk solutions that assume they help everyone often help no one. 

What challenges do colleges and universities have when changing their infrastructure to ensure student and institutional success? 

The major challenges are money and culture. Investment dollars are disappearing, but major people and technology investments are needed. A culture that doesn’t primarily focus on student success will be hard-pressed to survive. Cultural change has to start at the top and be reinforced regularly.

How does data inform strategic decision making for college and university leaders? 

It is countercultural, but institutions must learn to use data to analyze and stop spending on low-return programs and activities, and to focus spending on areas that deliver student-recognized benefits. Schools have the data they need – they just haven’t invested to strategically use it.

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2020 and how important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing the higher education experience?

Find and stop low benefit activities, and redirect their funding to invest in student and institutional success. Use your data to identify and recruit the types of students who will be successful at your institution. Be transparent, and show faculty and staff where you get and spend your funds. 

Dr. Michael Berger

Dean, College of Doctoral Studies, Grand Canyon University

How does higher education benefit career paths or create value and new opportunities?

College degrees are more imperative today than ever before. As our workforce grows increasingly competitive, it becomes clear that higher education is a necessary pursuit for those with goals of becoming a leader in their field. 

In many industries, it’s not only that a person’s salary steadily increases along with their level of college education, it’s that a college degree is the key you need to unlock the door into the field at all. Many employers won’t even consider employees without a bachelor’s degree. 

Employees with graduate-level degrees stand out from their peers and are better positioned for advanced opportunities and leadership positions. Doctoral programs teach not only advanced skills and knowledge, but also high-level critical thinking and analysis skills that are increasingly in demand in today’s information-saturated world. 

What resources are necessary to help students thrive in higher education programs?

Higher education programs are challenging by nature but earning a high-level degree is more than achievable when academic institutions offer students proper resources. Academic support in higher education includes traditional tutoring programs outside the classroom, but inside the classroom, it is essential to have faculty who are accessible to students, who are invested in their students’ success, and who care about them as human beings. 

In addition to academic resources, institutions who intend for students to thrive should provide resources that support students’ physical and mental health. These include counseling services and addressing problems within the institution that may cause students to experience stress or setbacks. 

One of the most impactful resources in higher education is the support of peers. Higher education institutions can assist students by fostering an environment where learners can benefit and learn from one another.

What changes are universities making to adapt to the increase of online students in higher education programs?

The increase in demand for online education programs has resulted in a greater number of higher education institutions entering into the online education space. This competitive landscape has made it necessary for universities to invest into their online education platforms, utilizing software and hardware to enhance the connection between remote students and faculty. 

In order to provide higher quality in their online courses, universities are hiring faculty who specialize in online education rather than traditional in-person instruction. Prioritizing research into effective pedagogies for online learning is allowing institutions to administer superior education to a rapidly increasing population of online learners. 

Online students can have different needs than their on-campus counterparts, and a university has to be ready to address and manage those differences. 

What are your thoughts on the future of higher education?

Expectations of employees are increasing throughout our workforce and the responsibility of preparing graduates to meet these expectations is falling on higher education institutions. 

Moving forward, higher education programs will need to provide students with opportunities to practice skills learned within the classroom. Higher education needs to harness the theoretical toward the development of concrete, actionable skillsets that allow students to thrive when they enter their careers. It needs to accommodate the students with differing schedules who are likely working one or even two jobs while in school. It needs to focus first and foremost on student outcomes — higher graduation rates, lower student debt, and higher employment placement rates. 

Fardad Fateri

President and CEO, International Educational Corporation

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing the higher education experience?

Students come to college with unique backgrounds and experiences to be able to assess and address each student’s style in an accommodating and warm learning community is an essential part of ensuring student success.

How are non-traditional higher education programs improving the student experience?

I wouldn’t say non-traditional higher education necessarily improves a student’s experience; I would say non-traditional higher education serves a student population that would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience a college experience that is short-term, practitioner-oriented, hands-on and career-focused.

What key focus areas should institutions be prioritizing in 2020?

The postsecondary institution of the future needs to align itself with societal and marketplace demands as well as the needs of the new generation of students who don’t always seek degrees but want competency-based education that prepares them for the real world.

How does including educators in a university’s decision-making leadership improve outcomes for students and faculty?

Asking for student, staff, and faculty feedback should not be a novel concept but as an integral part of designing organizations that is inclusive, collaborative, thoughtful and strategic.

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Allison Fluett

University of Maine Classroom Technology Certificate Graduate

What encouraged you to continue your education?

I knew the only way I was really going to make technology an integral part of my teaching was to immerse myself in the expectation that I would continue to learn and grow in this area. When I realized the program I was 100% online I knew I would be able to do it. Having the flexibility to complete work on my own schedule was a convincing factor. Knowing I would be doing this work with other educators was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Who would you recommend to get a certificate?

I think this program is relevant to any teacher in the classroom. Technology is not going away and it is our responsibility to remain current and embrace these tools in ways that enhance our students’ experiences.

Enrique Torrendell

Graduate, Flatiron School

What encouraged you to continue your education?

My wife, my family, and my future legacy. I wanted to do work that I’m passionate about and set an example to others that it’s important to go after what you love.

Who would you recommend to enter a bootcamp program?

People who are committed to changing their career or learning new skills. Learning to code is difficult and you need to do a lot more than just be a good programmer. You need to network, learn new skills on your own, and continue building who you are as a developer.

Erin Chang

Photography student, Stanford Continuing Studies

How has Stanford Continuing Studies positively impacted you?

Stanford Continuing Studies helped me develop my passion for photography and led me to opportunities to practice professionally. I took these courses while working full time and met many inspiring photographers along the way who have helped me improve my own work.

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Traci Tapani, President of Wyoming Machine, a family-owned metal fabrication business, came to the same conclusion. “What we started seeing a decade ago is that the skills that people needed to bring to the job were different than they were in the past. When we combine a tight labor force with the fact that people don’t really have the skills you’re looking for, we’re in unchartered territory.” 

What is the “Skills Gap”?

This is referred to as the “skills gap”­– a disconnect between what employers want their new employees to know before they begin working and the skills that the applicant pool actually has.

Some believe that the skills gap has never been a legitimate issue. Matthew Yglesias of Voxand Matt O’Brien of the Washington Postwrote about new research presented at the American Economics Association’s annual conference, arguing that employers change their requirements to deal with the volume of resumes high unemployment produces. 

This new research is not inaccurate, but the lines critics are trying to draw from it are misleading. 

It is true that in times of high unemployment, more credentials and qualifications are added to job descriptions. However, employers add these requirements because it reduces the number of applications they get. While this outdated practice makes it easier to filter through applications, it does not guarantee the best hire for a position. 

In the last few years we have seen the skills gap gain new dimensions given the change in workplace development, jobs and in-demand skills. 

Advances in Communicating Job Requirements

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that it is not just a lack of specialized skills available. Employers don’t communicate their needs to the education community and there is no consistency in how employers and their education and training partners collaborate. 

This launched a workforce development planto create stronger alignment between employers and their training partners. The cornerstone of this is Talent Pipeline Management (TPM), which focuses on the supply of talent from education and training to the workforce. The objective of TPM, active in 26 U.S. states, is to develop more clarity on the most critical skills needed for jobs.

The Job Data Exchange (JDX) is a leap forward when it comes to communicating job requirements. The JDX open data resources will support more accurate, comparable, and machine-readable data on in-demand jobs. It will help employers send real-time information about changing jobs and skills to education and hiring partners.

No matter if the “skills gap” exists, it is clear that there is miscommunication about skills required by employers. A dynamic and evolving labor market would benefit greatly  from improving cooperation between education and employers

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With college tuition reaching peak levels and an economy in transition, the competition for higher education enrollments is both more competitive and more unstable than ever. This dynamic is even more acute in the case for adult and nontraditional learners, who now constitute the vast majority of today’s students. This population is extremely diverse. Their life and career goals are different, and age alone cannot adequately define them. Their perceptions about colleges and universities also differ, and they have greater power as consumers. Many are well-networked and skilled in the use of social media. Their needs vary, so relying on just one method of meeting those needs is risky. 

In the late 1990s and at the turn of the Millennium, adult learners were not only Gen Xers, but also Baby Boomers at their peak. The demographics of these adult learners show a higher representation of women who had either started college or achieved an associate’s degree, making degree completion programs via evening and weekend offerings appealing options. As the internet advanced, so did online offerings, adding to the mix.

The modern adult learner 

Today, the adult learner is a multi-generational learner who has different needs, beliefs and choices. He or she may already have a degree and may seek a master’s or technical degree. These learners may already have advanced degrees in a science or engineering field, or have been recently promoted and need a certificate to demonstrate competency in business management. Or, this new generation of learners may not have any college credits at all, but finds career opportunities in developing coding skills via intensive online boot camps. 

The newest demographic of adult learner is 24 years old (at the time of this article) and known as Generation Z, the upper range being born in 1995. They, along with younger Millennials, see greater value in modular learning–earning credentials in smaller units. They are open to new ways to learn, apart from or beyond the bachelor’s or master’s degree. Research shows that this younger adult learner expects to continue learning throughout their lives, as contrasted with other generations who believed that earning a bachelor’s degree was a sufficient terminal degree that carried with it economic guarantees that would last a lifetime.

Another generational learner is the older Millennial. While Millennials are defined as being born between 1981 and 1994, the oldest are now 38 years of age, well into the peak of their careers or in life transitions. Many are seeking flexibility, but also management and leadership training to advance to the next level.

Updating credentials

Those who earned their degrees in the early part of the 1990s or 1980s may be looking for a certificate to freshen up their areas of expertise. Others may be seeking degrees, badges or certificates that open new career paths, including new jobs created through automation, changes in retail, growth in the healthcare field or through advances in technology. These learners may seek out opportunities offered at various colleges or universities, either in an online or face-to-face classroom environment, or through a fully online provider offering programs in Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) formats.

So what is the best way to meet the challenges of the multi-generational learner and serve the new nontraditional student? A well-diversified, comprehensive approach is key. New modalities, coupled with micro-credentials and outcomes-based degrees and certificates are not just ideas – they are critical to meeting the needs of today’s learner. 

The post Meet the Multi-Generational Adult Learner appeared first on Education and Career News.

Balancing Education and Life

Education programs are addressing the time constraints of adult life by offering courses online, at off-campus locations, and by using hybrid, accelerated, and alternative-time options. Some adults love the flexibility afforded by online programs to work when it best suits their busy schedules. Others gravitate toward cohort-based programs that offer learning in community with others. At my university (Tennessee Tech) we offer a program where adult non-traditional students can complete a Bachelor’s degree at off-campus sites in partnership with community colleges. Many programs are still learning how to fully integrate adult students into systems traditionally designed for younger students. The returning student has an advantage: asking questions is part of adult life.  

Adult students are often overwhelmed with feelings of worry about their competence as learners: “Can I compete with traditional-aged students?” “Is my brain too old to learn?” One key factor to successful learning is making connections between new learning and existing knowledge. The stronger the connection, the more significant and lasting the learning. Adult students have an advantage: they bring a rich set of life experiences. Connecting new learning to personal interests, families, and work creates rich and meaningful networks of knowledge.  

Often, adult students discover that they are more competent than expected, and can even outperform traditional-aged students. Motivation is one of the most important factors in learning success. They bring a different set of motivators: life transitions, advancement opportunities, potential raises, economic mobility, unfulfilled goals, serving as a role model for children­–the list goes on. These students understand the value of what they are trying to achieve and have things to prove to themselves and to others.  

Getting that Degree

Adult students have real-life concerns regarding how long it will take to complete needed programs. In addition to alternative time formats, colleges/universities often offer avenues for granting credit for college-level, credit-worthy learning acquired outside of “school” settings (workplace trainings, leadership programs, online learning, etc). Taking advantage of “prior learning credit” can help shorten the time to completion of a program. Studies by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) show a strong connection between prior learning credit and successful degree completion (https://www.cael.org/learningcountsresearch).

What is the hardest part about going back to school to earn your degree or certificate? One of our TTU graduates, who came back and finished his undergraduate degree at 74, often says that the hardest thing about starting back to school is “just doing it, getting started”. Take the step, you may very well surprise yourself!

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When we go to the doctor, retain a lawyer or travel by air, we expect the person treating, representing or flying us to have had some standard level of knowledge and skills in their respective field. The same holds true for mechanics who work on our cars, IT technicians who work on our computers, chefs who prepare our food, architects who design our homes, and many other careers. But how do we know whether a given professional has acquired the necessary knowledge and skills?

The Importance of Credentials

Credentials are the way in which employers and consumers verify an individual’s qualifications in a given field. Credentials can be certificates awarded by educational institutions (typically in programs that take less than two years to complete), as well as degrees at the associate, bachelor, master and doctorate levels. Industry and trade associations are also in the credentialing business, and offer certifications to demonstrate skill mastery and competencies, typically through some combination of training, assessment and continuing education. State agencies also award licenses to recognize skill attainment. 

While there are some large players in the credential space, there is no single body that unilaterally creates, approves and disseminates credentials. To see how wide-ranging the credential landscape is, you can explore the nearly 5,500 credentials listed on www.credentialfinder.org. This online registry represents just a fraction of the credentials available.

As technology continues to create new jobs in virtually every sector of the economy, credentials should have one thing in common: they should be based on rigorous, high-quality standards and real-world experiential learning developed in close consultation between educational institutions and industry. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Career and technical education (CTE) is at the forefront of this industry-education collaboration. High-quality CTE programs are active in their outreach to the employer community to ensure that programs meet current and future workforce needs. Partner businesses help CTE programs identify and/or develop assessments and credentials that verify student competencies in a particular career area. This close collaboration enables CTE programs to excel at developing the future workforce while preparing students for success in further education and careers.

The post Credentials: Measuring Skills in Today’s Workforce appeared first on Education and Career News.

Beyond a bachelor’s degree

To help new graduates, along with people looking to re- or up-skill for a job promotion or career change, services like General Assembly (GA) have stepped onto the scene.

“Our job at GA was going to be not to provide curriculum and content per se, because curriculum and content is a dime a dozen … it’s everywhere,” said GA CEO Jake Schwartz. “The real challenge is putting all the pieces together so the individual can invest reliably their time, their passion and energy, and their money to get a real return through a career with better economic prospects.”

GA offers training and educational programs both online and on campuses in New York City and San Francisco to individuals who want to invest in themselves, as well as companies who want to invest in current or future employees. Schwartz noted that GA works with over 5,000 hiring partners.

“We have everything from a single-night workshop up to a multi-month immersive course so people can enter at different points to get different levels of this learning,” said Schwartz, adding that these programs have appealed not only to new grads, but also people in midlife and individuals who want to gain new skills as seniors.

Keeping it affordable

Being mindful of student debt barriers, GA began offering financing programs in late 2018 that allow individuals to avoid paying anything until they land a job. At that point, they pay a certain percentage of their future salary to cover the costs of their GA training.

“When employment is the No. 1 goal, it makes sense that we should all be growing toward that goal,” Schwartz said.

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A changing role

Mann remembers the different role that counselors had when she was school, and how uncommon it was for them to be really engaged with the students. “I wanted to be the different school counselor, the one who really helped kids understand what it is they needed to do in order to get where they wanted to go.” Now, counseling programs are often comprehensive and data driven, providing programming and services that addresses to needs of all students.

Some days are more driven by academic needs and guidance, while other situations may call for crisis response-type services during times of stress. “Part of being a counselor is being flexible and adapting to the situation at hand,” says Mann.

Student-centric

For those entering the industry, Mann recommends considering your own strengths and values, and how those attributes can benefit the students and community. And most importantly, to never stop learning and keeping up with professional development.

When students are working on college plans or experiencing personal hardships, the biggest challenge for them may be finding time with a counselor. “I like to give an assessment every year to understand what the students feel they need from us,” says Mann, and the response is often the same: more time with the counselors.

Making time

It is often frustrating for educators getting started to experience the time restraints imposed by paperwork, phone calls and emails, making time management skills crucial for counselors as well. As a counselor, the priority is to provide direction and “help them understand their value and their purpose,” says Mann, and carving out the opportunities to talk to them as much as they need. 

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Life takes millions away from school

These challenges can include personal health problems, family and work obligations and financial hardship. These personal and financial barriers can disproportionately affect students of color, low-income students and first-generation students. 

If this sounds like your experience, you’re not alone. Those thousands of stopped-out students have added up to 35 million Americans, or one in five adults aged 25 years or older, with “some college, but no degree.”

No greater reward than in re-enrolling​​​​​​​

A college education is an impressive investment and completing a postsecondary credential can be incredibly challenging, but it can be extraordinarily rewarding. For students considering going back to college, re-enrolling and getting back on track to graduate may seem daunting. But now returning to school has never been more important. There are many opportunities to re-enroll and complete your degree.  

We know that obtaining an associate’s or bachelor’s degree leads to higher-paying jobs and greater economic mobility, and we know that the value of a college degree will only continue to rise. It’s estimated that by 2020, two-thirds of all U.S. jobs will require a postsecondary degree or credential. Not only does this matter for workers and their families, it also means that state and federal governments will benefit from more educated workers against a competitive, 21st-century economy.

Private and public sectors join forces

The Institute for Higher Education Policy understands the personal and financial benefits of a college education for individuals and families. That’s why we’re working with institutions to build partnerships and develop equity-driven solutions that help students with some college, but no degree, cross the completion finish line. IHEP’s initiative, Project Win-Win, helped colleges re-enroll stopped out students, and Credit When It’s Due, helped colleges identify students who had earned enough credits to receive a degree but never got one. In total, these strategies helped colleges and universities award 20,000 new associate’s degrees. 

Recognizing the high stakes for state economies, 41 states have created ambitious attainment goals, often accompanied by policies aimed at re-engaging and investing in students like you. Many of these states have established robust re-engagement plans and developed new programs that make re-enrollment easier than ever. For example, Indiana’s ““You Can. Go Back.” program eliminates barriers to re-enroll in classes and transfer earned credits, awards college credit for prior work experience, offers forgiveness programs for student debt incurred and poor grades received during a student’s first experience with college, and provides grant funding specifically for returning students.

While returning to school can be incredibly challenging, support for stopped-out students has never been stronger. States have new programs to make re-enrolling easier, and institutions and organizations like IHEP are working together to scale innovative strategies that re-engage and support students who have stopped-out. If you’re ready to return to college, reach out to your college and university advising offices to see what supports they offer to help students re-enroll and get back on track towards completion. For the millions of Americans who have some college but no degree, now is the perfect time to go back to college, complete your degree, and reap the full economic and personal benefits of your investment.

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