The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education • The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education
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Delaware County Community College: Rethinking higher education in the wake of the pandemic Delaware County Community College’s Pennocks Bridge Campus located in the Chester County Technical College High School in West Grove.
Seismic changes in higher education are occurring as universities and colleges rethink how best to serve students recovering from the personal, economic and social aftershocks of the coronavirus pandemic. One area of higher education that is increasingly drawing attention is Continuing Education — generally speaking, shorter-term educational or training programs, often taken by adults, to learn additional or complementary workplace skills or credentials for career preparation and advancement. Even before the pandemic, many people were reconsidering the traditional four-year college route to a career in part because of the exorbitant cost of many colleges and universities. Now, many people are finding continuing education to be a less expensive, shorter-term, alternative that can quickly lead to family-sustaining-wage careers. For decades, Delaware County Community College has offered quality, affordable, accessible workforce programs to residents of Chester and Delaware Counties. Courses range from nurse aide, welding and information technology to early childhood education, medical coding and art. Courses are taught in person at one of the College’s seven locations in Chester and Delaware Counties, virtually or 44
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through hybrid class formats that combine in-person and virtual instruction. At its Pennocks Bridge Campus, in the Chester County Technical College High School in West Grove, the college offers courses in early childhood education, information technology, as well as science courses that can help fulfill requirements in a variety of allied health career programs. Many economists say that the traditional fouryear-college-to-career route is not necessarily for everyone. “The truth is that many Americans don’t need a traditional four-year college degree to enjoy a prosperous life,” said Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president and CEO Patrick Harker during a May 2021 virtual symposium on higher education, financial viability and the impact of the pandemic. “What they need are the skills that will propel them into middleclass jobs. For my dad, my uncles, and my brother, that was pipefitting. And for many, that’s still a great option. For others, it will be something else. Many skills today are gained through a variety of short-term
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