Noncredit Workforce Training in Community Colleges

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Research presented in this panel focuses on the noncredit workforce training sector at community colleges. Coined “the hidden college,” noncredit education has historically been understudied in academic research and policy, despite large enrollment numbers nationwide. This field is now growing as more states and institutional systems begin implementing policies and collecting noncredit data in response to increased focus on workforce training programs.  There is good reason for the increased attention: demand for skilled workers in new or changing fields is shifting in an evolving labor market. Trends in postsecondary enrollment are also shifting, with increased attention to the total investment required for credentials relative to the expected employment prospects.  Noncredit is a particularly appealing option to address these changes within the public sector. Noncredit CTE programs are typically much shorter, more affordable, and more flexible than their for-credit counterparts. They can also be aligned and adjusted fluidly to fit local labor market needs while focusing on industry-recognized credentials, employer-approved training, or direct occupational experience. 

However, we still know relatively little about the effects of noncredit programs and their impacts on students. This panel presents four studies from separate teams, each examining noncredit education in a different part of the country. One paper directly compares labor market outcomes for students in matched credit and noncredit programs that lead to the same industry credential following a noncredit incentivization policy. This study is valuable for understanding potential differences in labor market impacts between noncredit and for-credit program completion. The next paper explores the causal impacts of noncredit programs on labor market outcomes in detail, using data from another state community college system. It helps us understand differences in labor market effects across fields of study, as well as mechanisms behind employment changes.  The third paper offers qualitative insights into the pathways and experiences of noncredit workforce training students in a different community college system. This study deepens our understanding of why students choose noncredit programs and adds valuable context to the quantitative results of the other studies. The final paper provides a broader view of economic returns to community college credentials, including short-term for-credit certificates and diplomas, as well as noncredit credentials. It also focuses on methods of estimating labor market impacts, contributing additional methodological insights to the panel.

Overall, this panel covers noncredit workforce training from a variety of perspectives, methodologies, settings, and research teams. The findings and expertise presented should be valuable for future policy and research focused on workforce training, career and technical education, economic mobility through higher education, and employer-aligned collaborations in community college programs.

Policy Area

• Employment and Training Programs

Secondary Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Michael Hill, University of the Pacific

Discussants

• Shaun M Dougherty, Boston College

• D'Wayne Bell, Harvard University

Organizer

• Michael Alexander Cooper, University of California Irvine

Individual Presentations

• Reimagining Noncredit Higher Ed: Non-Credit Postsecondary Workforce Training Student Experiences - Presenting Author: Monique Anair, Santa Fe Community College

• Credit or Noncredit? A Comparison of Workforce Training Outcomes in Virginia’s Community Colleges - Non-Presenting Co-Author: Kelli Ann Bird; Presenting Author: Michael Alexander Cooper, University of California Irvine; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Di Xu, University of California Irvine

• Does Noncredit Occupational Education Pay Off for Students? - Presenting Author: Peter Bahr, Institute for the Future of Work; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Rooney Columbus, University of Michigan

• Heterogeneous Returns to Earning Sub-Baccalaureate Credential: A Machine Learning Approach - Presenting Author: Kangwook Noh, University of Kentucky; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Chuanyi Guo, University of Kentucky