On the Ground: Insights from the Field--Supporting Community College Students in Workforce Development and Continuing Education Programs
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| Title: | On the Ground: Insights from the Field--Supporting Community College Students in Workforce Development and Continuing Education Programs |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | E. VanZoest, S. A. Deal, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research |
| Source: | Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. 2026. |
| Availability: | Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. 706 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. e-mail: belk_center@ncsu.edu; Web site: https://belk-center.ced.ncsu.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges Adult Education |
| Descriptors: | Community Colleges, Continuing Education, College Credits, Prior Learning, Labor Force Development, Education Work Relationship, Microcredentials, Work Based Learning, Educational Change, Educational Legislation |
| Geographic Terms: | North Carolina |
| Abstract: | Community colleges in North Carolina and around the country are thinking creatively about how to support adult learners in continuing education and workforce development programs as they pursue short-term credentials that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs. Adult learners are choosing short-term workforce credentials in increasing numbers, and when those programs are aligned with high-wage jobs, students succeed. This brief provides insights into how community colleges can eliminate dead ends by redesigning continuing education as a fully integrated, credit-connected pathway to economic mobility through a variety of mechanisms including credit for prior learning (CPL). Sustained impact requires employer partnership, holistic student support and funding parity to scale high-value workforce programs statewide. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679086 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Community colleges in North Carolina and around the country are thinking creatively about how to support adult learners in continuing education and workforce development programs as they pursue short-term credentials that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs. Adult learners are choosing short-term workforce credentials in increasing numbers, and when those programs are aligned with high-wage jobs, students succeed. This brief provides insights into how community colleges can eliminate dead ends by redesigning continuing education as a fully integrated, credit-connected pathway to economic mobility through a variety of mechanisms including credit for prior learning (CPL). Sustained impact requires employer partnership, holistic student support and funding parity to scale high-value workforce programs statewide. |
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