Higher Learning
Education & Training for the “New Collar” Workforce Goldey-Beacom College is creating new certificate and degree programs to meet employer needs BY COLLEEN PERRY KEITH AND JOEL WORDEN
A RECENT ARTICLE in the Wall Street Journal—”Blue-Collar Workers Make the Leap to Tech Jobs, No College Degree Necessary”— discussed the talent transition that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic as employees shifted from blue collar into “new collar” roles. Many of these employees prepared themselves for new roles through specialized courses or training offered by non-college or university entities. We who lead colleges and universities celebrate the trend toward lifelong learning but also must learn from the data we are seeing. If we are to remain relevant for the workforce education needs of today’s employers, we must differentiate for potential students and employers what a college 64
degree can offer, and we must create additional options for students. In many cases, specialized courses and training are skills-based and focused on equipping students narrowly and quickly. As the Wall Street Journal article shows, the marketplace needs this. However, the nature of a quick-hitting program is that students may scratch the surface of a topic without learning deeply and developing the understanding it takes to solve problems at a root level. Unfortunately, this takes time. They don’t call it the 10,000-minute rule. The value proposition that a college degree offers is the opportunity to take that time and grapple with subjects at a deep level, guided by experts in the field. July / Aug us t 2 0 2 2
| DELAWARE BUSINESS
