Reports and articles continue to echo the same message: postsecondary credentials will play a critical role in securing a job. A recent article in The Bellingham Herald, a Washington state newspaper, highlighted a recent national reports and state statistics that reinforce the notion that credentials are no longer an option for individuals who cannot succeed in traditional four-year institutions.
The article features reports such as Projection of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018, Certificates Count: An Analysis of Sub-Baccalaureate Certificates, which both suggest that credentials will play a key role for individuals who seek employment.
Further, in Florida, a recent report based on the state’s employment data shows that “students who earn certificates or associate of science degrees can make more money in their first year out of college than four-year graduates of Florida’s university system,†the article said.
Willis Holcombe, chancellor of Florida’s fast-growing community college system was quoted saying that the unemployment numbers are “a powerful case for some postsecondary credential, not just going to classes, but completing a credential…If you want to insulate yourself against unemployment, you need a career.”
Tags: college and career readiness, community colleges, credentials, Job training