Career-focused, non-credit certificate studies are often a faster, lower-cost alternative to traditional degree programs, and may be a better fit for students who want to advance in their career, or for those who want to move into a different field.

Why focus on non-credit continuing education? Very simply, even as the labor statistics point to record low unemployment, there are vast parts of the American workforce left behind.

The harsh truth is that behind the story of historically low unemployment, many American workers simply aren’t counted. Those who have been excluded from the workforce—the long-term unemployed—are simply not counted. Neither are the workers juggling two or three part- or full-time jobs, and still struggling to meet their monthly bills. Neither are those who are trying to use the “gig economy” to get ahead but not increasing their true earnings.

Underemployment is a chronic issue, and is generally overlooked by the prevailing view of the American economy. As many as one in six workers are underemployed (source: Gallup, June 2015).

Non-credit continuing education programs, focusing on career skills, can help. But students, particularly the underemployed, face barriers. Unlike degree programs, few financial aid options are available for non-credit continuing education. In the absence of Workforce Investment Act support or employer-funded tuition reimbursement, students face a difficult choice: take out non-subsidized education loans or use a high-interest credit card, or be excluded from the courses they need.

Together, we can do better.

The Career Learning Foundation exists to support adult learners and to lower barriers to continuing education programs. We focus only on non-credit programs offered by accredited non-profit colleges and universities, and use our resources to help students overcome the financial barrier to enrollment.

With support from institutional and individual donors, we plan to provide need-based support for adult students. Students will be able to access career-focused learning at little or no cost.

Through measurement, we will help improve outcomes and effectiveness.

Students who receive our support agree to participate in a research population. This research, conducted by our university partners and overseen by faculty from a leading research university, will be designed to identify and measure economic and other career outcomes associated with continuing education programs. This study intends to understand which non-credit programs make the most significant positive impacts in the lives, and to the income, of their students.

Our long-term goal is to widely share this research, and to serve as a recourse to continuing education program providers. We want to be a resource to support ongoing and continuous improvement in career-focused continuing education.

FOR LEARNERS

If you can't afford to pay for continuing education but want to advance in your career, re-enter the workforce or to move into a new industry, we may be able to help fund your studies.

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