Non-Credit Workforce Education in Community Colleges

Introduction

Several community colleges have in recent times shown a preference for non-credit post-secondary students over credit students. This trend is particularly common in the areas of staff tutoring and contractor training. Several of these non-credit courses are quite popular for their flexibility in meeting the demands of prospective workforce students as well as the demands of their employers. Important questions have been raised about traditional colleges due to the growth of this sector, including the efficiency of colleges in utilizing resources and how well access is being provided to their students. Answering these questions will likely challenge state policies and practices at colleges, although analyzing the effects of this sector may be a difficult task due to the absence of data on activities as basic as admissions and enrollment in community college non-credit workforce education. With increasing state and college investments of resources in non-credit workforce education, improved outcome data collection will help to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs in addressing general state workforce and economic advancement requirements, and how well the needs of employers and students are being met. Connecting non-credit students to credit programs and more direct involvement of faculty members in non-credit education may be facilitated by integrated organizational structures. Thus, adopting an integrated organizational structure as much as possible will possibly improve the ability of colleges to serve their non-credit students, especially when supported by general state funds.

The achievements and mode of operation of non-credit workforce educational systems may be significantly dependent on their position within the college's general structure. The colleges assessed for this study implement various organizational frameworks, such as decentralized systems in which non-credit is a separate unit within the college, and centralized systems in which non-credit programs are incorporated within the college's departments based on content area. Irrespective of the organizational framework in place, colleges utilize different strategies to attain synergy between programs and exhibit flexibility in their non-credit offerings. Decentralized systems of non-credit programs manage their activities through interactions within the college to enhance cooperation, prevent duplication, and enable transitions between credit and non-credit programs.

Several community colleges have started preferring non-credit post-secondary students to credit students. This trend is particularly common in the areas of staff tutoring and contractor training. A distinctive characteristic of these programs is their significant role in satisfying changing workforce requirements and making skills accessible in a manner that takes employer needs into consideration (Van Noy, Jacobs, Korey, Bailey, & Hughes, 2008). Within the last twenty years, there has been a considerable increase in the availability of non-credit courses in postsecondary education. Despite non-credit programs being described as having potential for addressing educational parity, information such as academic results and the categories of students enrolled remains quite scarce (Xu & Ran, 2015).

Effects of Non-Credit Programs

The results of non-credit programs will vary due to various factors such as enrollment patterns, institutional demands, and requirements of businesses and industry. Future employment and workforce training are significantly impacted by these programs. The overall college planning system or a funding structure involving a credit-based admission strategy are also factors that can affect some of these outcomes. The development of a viable funding mechanism to support non-credit education is highly crucial. The documented learning outcomes from enrolling in non-credit programs differ and address various needs, since non-credit workforce education is not subject to the same academic guidelines that govern credit education. Specifying measurable outcomes for non-credit education helps institutions meet needs more efficiently because flexibility — arising from the absence of strict regulations — allows an entrepreneurial approach to be implemented. Institutions have the freedom to design program outcomes in relation to factors like economic changes and rising employability skills requirements (Calotescu, Eccles, Hughes, Picciano, & Sidd, 2014).

Learning is affected by adults' experiences in many ways. Individual uniqueness is engendered by adult experiences, which provide an avenue for learning. Prejudices are created through experience, which can shape, hinder, or accelerate new learning. Adult experiences can also be responsible for framing or even fundamentally reshaping an adult's self-identity. It is not accidental that the Chancellor's Office, the Academic Senate, the Legislature, and other professionals are displaying increasing interest in non-credit programs. The rapid population changes and declining educational levels affecting California's society and economy have been the focal point of many recent studies. A response to these studies is the involvement of non-credit programs in the growing interest in foundational skills success and adult learners as a method of meeting the state's workforce requirements.

Non-credit programs will clearly play a significant role in community colleges, and adult education in K–12 districts will join them in efforts to tutor, train, and employ the future workforce. California has an estimated two million students involved in non-credit programs and K–12 adult education. Non-credit programs through community colleges and adult education through K–12 will play a crucial role as California's population grows more diverse, with many new residents arriving through immigration who will require English language education and job skills (Walton, Elliot, Illowsky, & Keech, 2009).

Motivations for Non-Credit Programs

The results of an in-depth study of for-credit entrepreneurship education opportunities in American community colleges were released by Elizabeth Hagan in 2004. This work involved a comprehensive review of over 1,000 community college websites and the evaluation of data obtained from 171 community college entrepreneurship education program directors, providing important insights into the various curricula, instructional methods, and formats characteristic of community college entrepreneurship education. Furthermore, the effects of geographic location, faculty characteristics, and institutional mission on entrepreneurship program growth and decline were also studied by Hagan.

Included among her findings are review results indicating that 73 of the 426 participating institutions (17%) provide entrepreneurship or small business management degree programs, 131 (31%) award entrepreneurship certificates, and 176 (41%) provide three or more courses in small business or entrepreneurship. Hagan's survey response analysis aimed to determine the effects — if any — of geographic location, instructor characteristics, or institutional mission on the creation and development of small business management and community college entrepreneurship programs. The data was carefully analyzed, and the analysis showed that the relationship between any of these factors and program growth is insignificant.

In Hagan's words, "the primary outcome of the research is a determination that small business and entrepreneurship programs are as diverse as the communities and institutions that house them. They come into existence, grow, or decline and are characterized by factors that are more expansive than attitude, geography, or instructor characteristics. The diversity and trend towards establishment of new programs suggest that future research about entrepreneurship education is needed" (Carducci, Calderone, McJunkin, Cohen, & Hayes, 2005).

1. Incorrect and Inadequate Information

Job seekers who are relatively advanced in age are often unaware of the skills required to obtain employment, or the means through which to acquire those skills. A wide array of certificate programs and degrees exists, offered by technical or vocational schools, colleges or universities, and community organizations or employer associations — giving adults seeking education many options. There are wide variations in these options based on quality, cost, and character, and organizations or websites rarely provide neutral and trustworthy information. Many Americans with various levels of education, occupations, and job skills endured severe economic turmoil during and after the Great Recession, with adults possessing less tertiary education or lacking job-relevant skills hit the hardest. Job seekers in this category with low foundational skills and education are more likely to require further education before returning to work, partly because employers' skills and educational demands from workers are greater than they were in the past. Another impediment for older job seekers is employers' requirements for staff with advanced computer and technology skills (Van Horn, Krepcio, & Heidkamp, 2015).

2. Who Belongs in the "Non-Traditional Students" Category?

The term "non-traditional" students is sometimes used to refer to adult students. To be classified as non-traditional, a student must fulfill one or more of the following criteria: late admission into postsecondary education (i.e., in a different year than high school graduation), part-time attendance, full-time employment while in school, financial independence, being a single parent, having dependents other than a spouse, or lacking a standard high school diploma. Variation in attributes and requirements exists among non-traditional students, however, and some may exhibit many or all of the aforementioned characteristics.

The needs of adults in college are unique and differ from those of traditional college students who enroll immediately after high school. Past experiences, life histories, value sets, and previous orientations all play an important role in their learning approaches, classroom social engagement, and utilization of information. Adults in college, due to their life circumstances, tend to prioritize work over school, apply knowledge in more pragmatic and immediate ways, and achieve outcomes related to their previous experiences. Adults are also more likely to experience disabilities — mental or physical — as a result of age, and undetected disabilities may further impair their performance in college (Van Noy & Heidkamp, 2013).

How Non-Credit Programs Fit in Community Colleges

Efforts at developing low- and moderate-income (LMI) workforce development alongside inclusive education have consistently been a hallmark of the nation's community college system. The community college system has advanced rapidly; the first community college was established in Joliet, Illinois, in 1901. Today, there are over 1,600 campus branches around the United States, serving 11.7 million students. Over the past twenty years, researchers have predicted the creation of a labor force with increasing job growth in both high-skill and low-skill occupational categories — a structure referred to as an "hourglass" labor force. There is concern in some quarters about the decreasing number of "middle-skill" jobs — jobs requiring post-high school training but not necessarily a college degree. However, current data projects that demand for such jobs will remain substantial.

The institutional strengths of community colleges can be leveraged to improve the training and educational components of sectoral workforce schemes. The identification of skill gaps and labor requirements through sectoral approaches relies heavily on local employers and industry groups; once identified, these requirements can be met through schemes implemented by community partners such as faith-based organizations, local non-profit organizations, and local government agencies. Many sectoral approaches have been found to work successfully, though they may not be able to reach large numbers of employers and workers or attain the required scale (Choi, 2009).

For a long period of time, community colleges have been acknowledged for their role in providing workforce education specifically suited to adults. Both credit and non-credit workforce programs are structured to prepare students for work in various occupations and industries. Non-credit workforce programs are available in different formats and schedules but do not award degrees. Credit workforce programs, by contrast, are typically taken on a semester basis and can lead to associate degrees and certificates. There have always been policy debates about serving adult learners at community colleges. Non-traditional students — such as working adults, students with disabilities, and minority, low-income, and first-generation students — make up a significant portion of community college enrollment, and the average age of a community college student is 29. Educational stakeholders are increasingly recognizing that, despite serving adult students over a long period of time, community colleges may not always be adequately equipped to handle their needs (Van Noy & Heidkamp, 2013).

1. Enhancement of Workforce Capabilities

In the 1960s, adult education programs funded by the federal government and centered on job training and workforce development gained widespread support. Unemployment rates soared as a result of the economic recession, the worst economic downturn experienced since the Great Depression. This economic downturn, combined with the civil rights movement's campaigns for social fairness and economic equity, was instrumental in initiating the progressive restructuring of vocational education (Cortez, Fischthal, & Luedke, 2016).

2. On-the-Job Training for Government Staff (Military and Civilian)

Investments in adult education for military employees and programming for civil servants were made by the federal government in the 1960s. Adult education programs across the United States received copies of program materials, assessments, and methods for replication. Service members were also assisted in acquiring high school credentials by the Department of Defense through the formation of general adult secondary education programs.

3. Exclusions from Adult Education

Despite millions of Americans benefiting from the federal government's adult basic education programs in California and other states, many more were unable to participate. This exclusion was due to a lack of requisite basic educational background. Other reasons adults were excluded from these programs include geographical location, age, disability, or labor market status. The year 1964 saw an improvement in unemployment rates; however, English language learners, African Americans, and undereducated individuals were largely unable to benefit from the economic expansion.

Conclusion

Increased education does not automatically imply better outcomes. More academic qualifications are being demanded by employers for all kinds of jobs despite continuously voicing discontent about the varying quality of degree graduates. A college degree increasingly seems to offer only a vague summary of an individual's skills for the prevailing knowledge economy. Many universities and colleges have failed to recognize the need to adapt to the increasing skillset demands of the workforce. Institutions have remained reluctant to align their curricula with the current labor market by neglecting the concept of vocational training. Similarly, conventional schools have rigid business models that render them too inflexible to adapt adequately to the changes in the markets they serve. As a result, students are increasingly questioning the value of investing in higher education for college degrees that continue to grow more expensive while the gap between job requirements and degree holders' qualifications also widens (Weise & Christenson, 2014).

Continued parallel operation of the credit and non-credit systems will make it more difficult for students to transition from non-credit to credit programs. While seeking methods of increasing the number of students who make this transition, it should be noted that the availability of non-credit programs as an entry point means the existence of other routes that students will need and choose. Keeping the pathway from non-credit to credit programs available and easily accessible will help students to consistently view higher education as a viable option (Mecom, 2016).

Possible Sectional Changes in Community Colleges' Organization

With the growth and evolution of non-credit workforce education, changes will be observed in the structural patterns and revenue models used by community colleges. In fact, many of the colleges evaluated carried out organizational changes of some kind in recent times. Some colleges integrated their various non-credit programs into a single unit. Other schools elevated non-credit workforce education within the college — for example, by creating a new senior-level position to enhance communication and highlight the significance of non-credit. Yet other colleges placed limits on certain types of non-credit courses, such as basic skills courses and recreational courses (Van Noy, Jacobs, Korey, Bailey, & Hughes, 2008).

References

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