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Forty-three percent of young workers with licenses and certificates earn more than those with an associate degree; 27 percent of young workers with licenses and certificates earn more than those with a bachelor's degree; and 31 percent of young workers with associate degrees earn more than those with a bachelor's degree.[i] |
Earning a higher-level credential does not automatically improve earnings potential, as the above statistics from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce make clear.
Employment and earnings success is about more than a student's highest level of education-field of study is key. As the Georgetown researchers have reported, certificates holders in high-wage, high-demand fields such as computer and information science, electronics, and business and office management earn more than many associate and bachelor's degree holders.[ii]
When communicating this message to policymakers, education leaders and the public, back this data up with success stories from your students who have succeeded with less than a bachelor's degree in high-demand fields. In addition, explain how the growth in stackable, portable credentials enables adult students to return to education over their lifetime so they can earn those higher-level credentials and move up the career ladder.
Remember, you don't have to wait for a new entry in our Data Driven blog series to access CTE data and research. The information you need is available at any time with ACTE Fact Sheets.
[i] Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Valuing Certificates, Presentation, 2009.
[ii] Carnevale, A.P., Rose, S.J., & Hanson, A.R. Certificates: Gateway to Gainful Employment and College Degrees, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012.
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