Data has long supported attainment of a postsecondary two- or four-year degree or credential as a means to boost earnings in the labor market. However, new information tracked by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office indicates that students who participated in just one or two CTE courses experienced a median wage increase of $4,300.
Many education advocates and researchers have expressed concerns about low community college completion rates, as measured by traditional benchmarks including degrees and certificates. However, many students enroll in just a few community college courses to gain a new competency or skill that will assist them in their career. California’s move to recognize these “skills builders” is intended to provide more information on the outcomes of postsecondary education for all enrollees, rather than labeling skill-seeking students as non-completers.
Community College Daily published a report on the change, which noted the implications California’s move may have for the national conversation about postsecondary education. Jeff Strohl, director of research at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, stated in the article that:
“...The work on skill builders — the identification of how course clusters bring significant value to individuals and the state — is forcing a pause and reset in how we think about college dropouts by revealing that many students have figured out how to effectively engage the postsecondary system at low cost with high returns.”
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