Noncredit Enrollment in Workforce Education: State Policies and Community College Practices

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Noy, Michelle Van Jacobs, James B. Korey, Suzanne Bailey, Thomas Hughes, Katherine L.
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	This report may be cited or reproduced in whole or in part, without permission, with the proviso that the original source is cited as follows: (2008). Noncredit enrollment in workforce education: State policies and community college practices [Report]. Acknowledgments Funding for the study on which this report is based was generously provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The authors would like to thank the many policymakers and administrators from across the country who graciously shared information and insights with the study researchers. Thanks also to the study' s advisory board members—Jon Slater for their editorial feedback. Finally, we would like to thank the National Council for Workforce Education and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training for their assistance and support of this project. Any errors or omissions are strictly the responsibility of the authors. Introduction Postsecondary noncredit education has become increasingly common; many community colleges now enroll more noncredit than credit students. Much of the growth has occurred in workforce instruction and contract training. These programs are noted for their important role in meeting shifting workforce demands and providing skills in a way that is flexible and responsive to employer needs. Growth in this sector raises fundamental questions about whether colleges are keeping pace with need, using resources efficiently, and providing access to all students. The answers may challenge current state policies and college practices. Methodology The CCRC study, funded by the Sloan Foundation and conducted in collaboration with the National Council for Workforce Education and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training, focused on noncredit workforce instruction and contract training in community colleges. Specifically, it examined (1) the extent to which noncredit workforce education and state policies play a role in workforce development, provide disadvantaged groups with access to higher education, and generate revenue for colleges; (2) how colleges organize their noncredit workforce programs to balance the tradeoffs between the desired flexibility of noncredit education and the integration of credit and noncredit programs; and (3) the extent to which noncredit workforce education provides recorded outcomes for students, such as transcripts or industry certifications, and the extent to which outcome data are available. Two key sources of information were used. First, we reviewed noncredit workforce education policies on funding and regulation in all 50 states by interviewing people in state departments with oversight for community colleges or workforce development. Second, we obtained case studies of 20 …
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Publications/Reports/Documents/noncredit.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/noncredit-workforce-education-policy-practice-aacc.pdf
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article