Workforce Development
The economy is still recovering from the Great Recession, which was characterized by skyrocketing unemployment rates. Many adults found themselves without the skills needed to find work in the new, knowledge-focused economy, and colleges and universities have ample opportunity to create programs to help people find careers in growth industries.
Professional Education Needs to Formalize a New Platform
David Hofmeister | Dean of the Graduate School and College of Adult and Professional Studies, Friends UniversityCareer goals and job opportunities maintain a murky relationship for many adults who participate in the education-to-employment ecosystem. While improved employment opportunities can be realized with an academic degree, the…
Accrediting the Bootcamp: The Transformational Impact of Career College Status
Rachel Greenspan | General Manager, Lighthouse LabsCoding bootcamps have experienced astonishing growth since they hit the higher education scene in 2012. Capitalizing on the critical labor market need for skilled coders, a lack of coding training…
Online Bridging for Computer Science: Bachelor Degree Completion Driving Economic Growth
Dawn White | Manager of Academic Development and Quality, Algoma UniversityMost communities in Northern Ontario have a long history of dependence on resource-based economies. In Sault Ste. Marie—an isolated city just across the river from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan—where Algoma…
Establishing a Foothold: Outcomes Reporting and Bootcamp Growth
Rachel McGalliard | Vice President for Operations, The Software GuildIn 2012, while the higher education industry was knee deep in The Year of the MOOC, another entrant came onto the postsecondary scene and their impact has been—though slower growing—arguably…
The Skills Gap: Redefining the Problem, Reframing the Narrative, and Reinventing Partnerships
Jeffrey S. Russell | Dean of Continuing Studies and Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning, University of Wisconsin-MadisonEmerging from the record-setting 2008 recession, conversations about economic recovery often focused on the apparent disconnect between jobs and workers. As businesses tried to fill key vacancies, they encountered a…
Credentials Make the Difference in a Job Hunt
Christine Chmura | Chief Executive Officer and Chief Economist, Chmura Economics and AnalyticsHaving the right credentials is getting an increasing amount of attention among firms and job seekers. On the one hand, businesses want to know that prospective employees have the knowledge,…
Microcredentials Transforming MOOC Positioning and Higher Education Models
Rick Levin | Chief Executive Officer, CourseraAlternative higher education providers have been making huge waves in the postsecondary space in recent years, and none more so than Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) providers. Though there are…