- Examining non-degree programs
- Florida healthcare provider covers full tuition for employees
- Kudos to Kentucky colleges for awarding more credentials
- Alabama college holds evening program for mini terms
Examining non-degree programs
New America is seeking proposals to identify six community colleges that excel at non-degree workforce development. The cohort is part of its New Models for Career Preparation project.
The multi-year effort aims to unpack the design, financing and institutional strategy principles in creating high-quality non-degree workforce programs at community colleges, according to New America. The project is based on the results of a previous cohort comprising six community colleges with high-quality, non-degree programs.
Each selected college will receive $50,000 for a one-year period to help researchers better understand what makes their non-degree programs effective.
Florida healthcare provider covers full tuition for employees
Orlando Health is launching a new partnership with Seminole State College of Florida and Valencia College to expand its Preferred Education Program (PEP) and create more opportunities for the healthcare provider’s employees to pursue an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or technical certificate.
Full-time and part-time team members at Orlando Health can take classes at either community college without incurring any out-of-pocket costs. A new feature to PEP is the removal of the annual $5,000 cap, meaning that Orlando Health will pay 100 percent of the cost of tuition and books directly to the college.
According to Orlando Health, employees can take programs such as nursing, diagnostic medical sonography, respiratory care, physical therapy, emergency medical technology, health services administration, health sciences, information technology, business, construction, hospitality and more. Team members also can receive one-on-one support from academic coaches and the college’s student affairs and advising staff.
Kudos to Kentucky colleges for awarding more credentials
Despite Covid’s disruption to the 2020-21 academic year, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) reports that its colleges awarded a record number of credentials to a record number of graduates.
The 16 KCTCS colleges awarded 39,458 credentials, which included degrees, diplomas and certificates. KCTCS saw a nearly 5% year-over-year increase in associate in applied science degrees, designed to prepare graduates to directly enter the workforce. There also was an increase in associate in arts and associate in science degrees for students who want to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree, according to the system.
For the first time in its more than 20-year history, KCTCS awarded credentials to more than 20,000 graduates.
“Even with lower enrollment, remote learning, job loss, illness and pandemic-induced stress, our students persevered and finished their programs,” KCTCS President Paul Czarapata said in a news release. “I’m so impressed with their fortitude, and I want to thank our faculty and staff who worked under adverse conditions to make sure our students succeeded.”
Alabama college holds evening program for mini terms
Gadsden State Community College has started a new evening program that can be completed exclusively during “mini terms.”
“This program will give working adults the opportunity to take in-person courses while working a regular 40-hour week,” said Leslie Worthington, the college’s dean of academic programs and services. “We make it as convenient as possible through timing and location of the classes.”
The 15 to Finish Program requires students to complete 30 credit hours per academic year for two years, which will lead to an associate degree in general studies. The classes are taken during two mini terms in both the fall and spring semesters.
“Mini terms are daily, focused courses over an eight-week period versus the traditional 16-week semester,” Worthington said. “The courses are flexible and focused.”
The first mini term began August 23 and ends October 14.
