Valuing Industry Education for Professional Success

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 9.5 million unfilled jobs in the U.S., and a working-age population that has continued to decline since 2007. That data, paired with the World Economic Forum’s current report that 50% of the adult population will need to reskill and upskill by 2025, means that per the U.S. Census Bureau, over 258 million more people will be affected by a need for re-skilling and upskilling to reduce our labor deficit and skills gaps. Those gaps continue to impact our industries and U.S. competitiveness, therefore understanding how we can effectively engage that working-age population into education and training opportunities is key to America’s future.

However, the shift in public perception of the value of higher education and training regarding ‘is it worth it’ and the rise of alternative learning pathways provided by various types of organizations have taken off in recent decades, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic and to the benefit of learners. As educational leaders, we now see that not everyone wants to or is able to commit to pursuing a degree or even a course provided by a higher education institution, but that many want to learn a skill on a pay-per-course basis and advance their professional prospects without putting their life on hold. So now we are seeing shifts in behavior from degree-seeking learners to those that just want to meet specific professional school prerequisites, acquire focused skills, and engage with organizations that allow them to take one individual course at a time without intensive application processes and requirements.

In fact, according to a study from the Lumina Foundation, non-degree credentials are associated with increased employment. Earning a non-degree credential of any kind has been associated with a 5%-to-15% increase in the likelihood of being employed. Additionally, non-degree credentials generate earnings benefits, as adults with a six-to-12-month credential increased earnings by an average of $2,600 per quarter.

At CSU Global, the nation’s first fully online, accredited state nonprofit campus as part of the land-grant Colorado State University System, non-degree seeking students have access to the full CSU Global Course Catalog of short 8-week courses that have convenient start dates every month. The University’s approach to non-degree-seeking education is both comprehensive and accessible and fulfills its mission of providing learners with what they need for professional workplace success, with several options for students interested in advancing their skills without having to spend time completing a lengthy application or committing to a full degree program. By focusing on specific skill sets and knowledge areas of immediate workforce needs, students who may need to enhance their qualifications or pivot their careers without the time or financial commitment associated with traditional degrees and educational programs can do so.

CSU Global’s career-connected learning and return-on-investment (ROI) components have spurred its engagement with learners in every industry. The University staff and faculty understand and provide the support necessary so that courses and programs are built and modified to meet real-time job post and position needs. With guidance from its Advisory Council members comprised of industry leaders for every program and based on its outcomes data, its approach is effective, as CSU Global’s full student population currently exceeds 83% in its first-to-third term retention. The University has added over 8,000 new students during the last year given its career-connected education and training framework that includes:

• the skills, knowledge, and abilities, incorporated into our courses, that align with industry certifications and qualifications;
• instructors with both industry experience and the educational credentials to teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels so that they can provide workplace insights and coaching to learners on real-life professional navigation issues, as well as educational and skill-based development assistance;
• embedded internships and work-ready assignments for real-life work experience so that learners can earn collegiate credit while also being able to use and share their work on what they are learning through assignments that can include projects such as presentations and information on competitors vs. having to complete more traditional homework assignments such as research papers;
• integrated industry tools so learners have experience in using the tools to be successful in their new positions even on their first day;
• and programs built as “stackable certificates” so that the learners can engage with programs as needed and desired while they work, and over time, have enough credit from them to be awarded a degree.

Interestingly, the University’s perspective and work on ROI shows that there is tangible evidence that higher education does in fact matter. Over 93% of CSU Global undergraduate degree and certificate completers are working, with over 77% employed within the field of their program completion. Further, graduate program completers are experiencing median income increases from 30% to over 83% depending on the program completed, with undergraduate program completers experiencing a percentage increase in median income of 4% to 58%  depending on the program completed.

And importantly, the University’s work to incorporate industry training into its programs can be seen in its work with non-CSU Global education opportunities that have been evaluated for levels of learning and learning outcomes achievement by its faculty that include:

• organizational training courses for collegiate credit, 
• transfer pathways for online courses provided by other providers, 
• and as shared above, internship and apprenticeship programs that have been evaluated for collegiate credit value. 

For example, in partnership with Generation School Network (GSN), a nonprofit organization that works to increase access to equitable learning experiences through its diverse network of education stakeholders, the University faculty has reviewed and received approval from the Colorado Department of Education to accept four of GSN’s courses towards CSU Global’s Masters in Teaching & Learning and its Education Leadership/Principalship Licensure program. Such ability provides learners with lower cost education leading to their ability to teach at the K12 level and fill some of the many open positions in Colorado and beyond. 

The University’s acceptance of low-cost courses from alternative providers of Straighterline, Study.com, and Sophia additionally provide learners with lower cost certificate and degree programs, as they are able to take low cost courses that qualify for General Education credit from such providers and then transfer them into CSU Global for program and accreditation requirements. Similarly, student work as an intern or apprentice also provides key learning opportunities with transferable collegiate credit for CSU Global learners as they gain the skills needed to be successful in industry and the workforce while completing their certificate or degree program. 

With the infusion of technology into every industry during COVID, dynamic change is only going to increasingly speed ahead, requiring us to adapt at faster rates. To help our professional workforce keep up with keeping up, educational and training organizations will similarly need to remain agile and responsive to meeting learning needs as they work together to optimize the value of training and education in its various and evolving formats. And from what the data reflect, it’s clear that new pathways for learning along with recognition of industry-based and alternative learning options towards program completion can facilitate that success.