As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of this time, we encounter exciting new technologies, emerging fields of employment and breathtaking discoveries, as well as rising costs. And one truth becomes increasingly clear: Continuing education is not merely a supplementary component of our university’s offerings but a driving force for growth and innovation. In today’s rapidly evolving educational and professional landscape, our continuing education divisions stand at the forefront, contributing to shaping our institution’s future.
Moving at the Speed of Business
By moving at the speed of business, we cater to nontraditional students—working professionals, lifelong learners and those seeking skill enhancement—a vast and growing market. The nature of our work is predicated on a student’s ability to learn a skill, practice that skill and apply it immediately. People spend their money and precious time on a course or certificate to apply it as a lever to lift themselves in their careers today or help them transition to another career in the near future. These learners often cannot commit to full-time degree programs but are eager to invest in their personal and professional development.
Developing continuing education in this environment has taught us to be agile, enabling us to respond swiftly to market demands. Whether it’s emerging technologies, evolving industry standards or new regulatory requirements, we can design and deliver relevant programs that keep pace with these changes. This responsiveness not only enhances our competitiveness but also attracts new students and fosters partnerships that can lead to further innovation.
Alternative teaching methods developed in continuing education—such as online learning, microcredentials and short courses—often set the stage for broader pedagogical advancements within the university. We can also be a testing zone for the university at large, the cost of trying new products and services being lower for our smaller footprint. We can then share our findings with our peers and prevent costly mistakes at scale. These innovations, initially tailored to nontraditional students’ needs, frequently spill over into our traditional programs, enhancing the overall quality of education we offer.
Pathways to Traditional Programs
Continuing education may also serve as a bridge, guiding adult learners and professionals toward full-time degree programs. Many of our continuing education students eventually choose to pursue advanced degrees, thereby boosting enrollment in our traditional programs, particularly at the graduate level. This phenomenon not only broadens our student base but also enriches the diversity of experiences and perspectives within our classrooms.
Fostering a Culture of Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement
Perhaps most importantly, continuing education fosters a culture of lifelong learning that extends beyond our alumni to the broader community. By promoting the value of continuous personal and professional development, we reinforce our role as a leader in education, not just for a few years of a student’s life but throughout their entire career and beyond. This approach allows us to tap into different networks, finding opportunities to provide lifetime value to the people who participate in our rich ecosystem. Our commitment to community engagement is another area where continuing education shines. By offering programs that address our local and regional communities’ specific needs, we strengthen our ties with the people we serve. These programs enhance our reputation and open doors to collaborations with businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations—partnerships that are vital to our institution’s growth and impact.
Small Starts Bring Large Wins
To fully harness the benefits of the lessons learned through our continuing education division, we must share our wins with the university, creating what we call One Berkeley. Wherever we can assist our partners inside the university with insights, experiences and even our failures, we provide critical time-saving information and data, opportunities to try new revenue streams through certificate programs, noncredit offerings and other outside-the-box products, enhancing the value of both our continuing education and degree programs.
Direct access to the workforce gives us a unique ability to take the pulse of how work gets done, surveying our students frequently. By collaborating with industry leaders, we can ensure our continuing education programs and university classes align with workforce needs, providing our students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers.
Finally, we have learned a lot about successful marketing and outreach efforts to maximize the impact of our continuing education programs. Placing small bets on multiple outreach tools such as Instagram Reels, Tik Tok and YouTube Shorts quickly allows us to learn more about our applicant pool and students. We have applied these learnings to our study abroad and summer sessions programs, increasing our numbers. By telling our students’ stories and highlighting our programs’ success where our applicants and students are, we can attract more participants and strengthen our position as leaders in lifelong learning.
By embracing the strategies outlined above, we can ensure our continuing education programs not only contribute to our financial stability but also drive our institution forward, keeping us at the cutting edge of education in today’s rapidly evolving world as we strive to fulfill our mission of providing high-quality, accessible and relevant education to all.
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