The Impact of Online Shopping on Higher Education
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As more and more workers seek credentialing and reskilling opportunities to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of change in their profession, university continuing education programs offer a way to enhance their employability and career advancement potential.
In fact, some experts believe that continuing education provides benefits that go far beyond an advantage in the workplace. In some cases, these experts believe that continuing education helps workers clarify and understand their professions and purposes on a deeper level. Due to the experiential nature of continuing education programsâthe combination of theoretical and practical, hands-on applicationâit improves collaboration, problem-solving and other necessary skills while establishing and setting standards for certain industries.
Put simply, continuing education is important for a variety of professions and is an excellent means to develop the talent pipeline for Americaâs workforce. Continuing education helps set professionals apart from others, provides a learning experience that replicates whatâs experienced in the âreal worldâ and for some individuals can help them broaden their skillset or fine-tune their skills. When looking for a way to get ahead, continuing education is often an excellent starting point.
In 2014, President Obama allocated $450 million to promote continuing education and workforce development. This investment reflects a broader need to serve the rapidly growing U.S. market for non-traditional education.
“Together with our partners and stakeholders, we’re carrying out the vision of revitalizing and transforming the public workforce system to reflect the realities of the 21st century economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Today, we have a stronger foundation to connect Americans of all walks of life to in-demand careers and ensure that businesses have access to the skilled talent that will help grow their business and the U.S. economy.”
With this increased funding available, higher education institutions have an opportunity before them. Those that put the right systems in place to capture and serve this market stand to increase revenue and further their mission to provide valuable, targeted learning. This growing constituency of adult learners, eager to acquire new skills through new programs, clearly gives higher education institutions an unparalleled freedom to innovate. Itâs up to American universities to seize this initiative and invest accordingly in the efforts of their continuing education departments. Whatâs important to keep in mind, is that Continuing Education departments offer an entry point to the business community and provide exposure to the university as a whole by extending the knowledge and research created at a university to audiences that would otherwise not benefit from it.
In other words, Continuing Education departments help remind the public of the value they bring to higher education by traversing the campus walls and extending the resources of the university to wide arrays of audiences.
One such example can be seen at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Office of Continuing Education with their MPA Management Academy. This professional development certificate program is intended for supervisors and high-potential staff working in the government and nonprofit sectors. The focus during the three-day program is on key skills needed for management success in the unique environment of government and/or nonprofit and integrates concepts provided by Master of Public Administration (MPA) faculty from UNC Charlotte with practical knowledge and experience from local community leaders. This program has acted as a springboard for some individuals to go on and seek out a masterâs degree in public administration, but more importantly, it has led to several opportunities for faculty members to become involved in valuable community-based projects.
In many ways, Continuing Education departments can be likened to the cog in a wheel by making the appropriate connections between university resources and the business community. Here are a few university resources that continuing education may be called upon to provide a bridge between industry and academia:
Trying to maneuver through a university system and connect with the right individuals and departments can be daunting and overwhelming for some businesses. As an ambassador (of sorts), continuing education acts as a portal into the larger university and can alleviate the frustration of becoming familiar with the vast resources that a university has to offer. Continuing education provides a positive influence on a universityâs ability to integrate itself into the business community and plays a vital role with the development of the local workforce.
Learn to implement eCommerce best practices and create a positive learning experience.
Author Perspective: Administrator