Most adult learners are also workers and vice versa. They should never have to choose one of those identities at the expense of another. Rather than worrying about which fork in the road leads to a dead end, they should enjoy accessible on- and off-ramps along an integrated network of education-employment pathways. Extended pathways challenge the zero-sum thinking behind the belief that workforce-oriented training is a fallback position for people not good enough for college or that pursuing a degree program resigns one to being out of touch with the real world.
This is why so much of CAEL’s work entails alignment among educators and trainers, employers and other key workforce development partners. We want to transform either/or dilemmas into both/and solutions. Credit for prior learning, or CPL, is critical to that strategy. It’s living proof that college-level learning neither begins nor ends at the door of a classroom. When CAEL was founded 52 years ago, that was a somewhat radical suggestion, but the truth is adult learners have always brought more than their books (today, laptops) when they walk through those classroom doors. They also carry competencies worthy of recognition.
Instead of surfacing as opportunities to receive college credit, those competencies often remain buried treasures. CPL’s power to unearth that treasure has traditionally been viewed as a disruptor within higher ed. After all, CPL accelerates completion by delivering college credit. But today, while it continues to offer profound and underutilized upside in that space, it also has critical potential for bridging gaps between higher ed and workforce development.
Just as with learner and worker identities, we shouldn’t regard higher education and the workforce system as discrete or even opposing domains, but I can understand that tension. There has been much anguish about whether academic curricula properly align with rapidly evolving workforce needs. This discord drives doubts among students about a college degree’s return on investment. It also pushes employers, learners, workers and policymakers to pick winners among traditional degrees, short-term credentials, competency-based assessments, industry training and other alternatives.
Research continues to indicate that, over time, college degrees pay off. A Lumina Foundation-Gallup survey showed that most adults who haven’t completed a degree find them “extremely” or “very” valuable (55% for associate degrees, 70% for bachelor’s degrees). According to the U.S. Department of Labor, workers 25 and older who have a bachelor’s degree earn 66% more (18% for associate degree holders) than workers who didn’t attend college.
At the same time, surveys show that short-term credentials are gaining traction. WGU’s inaugural Workforce Decoded report indicates that 86% of employers view nondegree certificates as valid indications of job readiness. It also finds that while fewer than 40% of employers feel higher ed is developing work-relevant skills, 68% think degrees remain important.
CPL can harmonize these mixed signals. Consider its capacity as a powerful lever for much-needed strategic coordination among workforce developers, private industry and postsecondary education. The process of evaluating real-world learning establishes organic connections between theory and practice, where benefits flow both ways while remaining steadfastly centered on adult learners and workers.
CPL is a rich source of direct, empirical data on the competencies most valued in the workforce. Connecting learning outcomes from work-based learning and academic curricula keeps college administrators plugged into the latest industry needs and workforce trends. At the same time, when integrated with corporate training and education benefit programs, CPL crosswalks, which link industry certifications and on-the-job training to academic outcomes, can reduce the cost of employers’ tuition benefit programs, a growing source of college enrollment.
At the learner level, CPL crosswalks can unbundle academic programs into a series of short-term credentials that make degree pathways more accessible. A granular continuum of educational attainment that integrates short-term credentials and degree programs better supports adult learner completion, especially for those who need the on- and off-ramps I mentioned above as they balance extracurricular obligations with their studies.
It’s important to note that integrating short-term learning into degree pathways benefits both novice and experienced workers. Workers who are new to an industry don’t have to face the traditional all-or-nothing choice. They can pursue career advancement via short-term credentials that also open doors to degree completion. Conversely, the same crosswalks allow experienced workers who want to complete a degree to build on what they know rather than starting from scratch in the classroom. After all, if students benefit when education satisfies workforce needs, why shouldn’t workers benefit when employment supports education needs?
For example, CAEL led a partnership with the Machinists Institute and Renton Technical College (RTC) in Washington to create a groundbreaking registered apprenticeship pathway. The pathway integrates trade-specific training with general education curricula, allowing apprentices to concurrently complete their machinist apprenticeship and an associate of applied science in multi-occupational trades. All students who complete a registered machinist apprenticeship through the program also attain a degree, with no need to complete additional seat time in college. The program also provides apprentices access to wraparound services available at RTC such as food pantries, libraries and computer labs. In addition to benefiting adult learners and the workforce, the program supports enrollment and completion at RTC, positioning more students to continue their studies toward a bachelor’s degree. The model CAEL developed with RTC and the Machinists Institute is scalable and adaptable to other colleges or state systems
Granted, not all apprentices may need a college degree upon completion, but that’s what extended pathways are all about: flexibility. Why not give them the choice, especially when the option comes at no additional cost? The degree could turn into a head start if they pursue a promotion or a career change in the future. On that note, there are signs that employers’ resolve to embrace a competency-based approach to hiring may be more aspirational than actual. College degrees remain the universal if imperfect indicator of work-relevant competencies. That only underscores the profound importance of CPL as an engine of equitable economic mobility.
Just because a job doesn’t require a degree doesn’t mean it can’t contribute to one. Instead of a career dead end, extended pathways leave doors open to credential and career progression—when and where it makes the most sense for adult learners and workers—whether that entails immediate-impact training, advanced degrees or any point in between.
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