Colorado Early Colleges’ Post

Troy Buckholdt Great post! 🔥 In a world that’s evolving faster than ever, it’s time to rethink the traditional path to success. 🎓🤔 🌟 Specialized Training vs. College Education 🌟 🎯 Specialized Training: ✅ Tailored to the skills employers demand NOW. ✅ Efficient and focused learning. ✅ Real-world, hands-on experience. ✅ Affordable and quicker than a 4-year degree. 🏫 College Education: ❌ Generalized curriculum. ❌ Longer duration. ❌ High tuition costs. ❌ May not align with job market needs. Embracing specialized training can be your ticket to a successful career. Whether it’s coding bootcamps, online courses, or industry certifications, the options are endless! #SpecializedTraining #CourseCareers #EducationEvolution #SkillsMatter

As technical schools fail, attitudes toward career education must change. Attitudes toward four-year college degrees have changed rapidly over the past decade, yet schools that offer career-focused associates degrees are still struggling to recruit. Unfortunately for students well-suited for career and technical education (CTE), the stigma against foregoing college remains intense. The recent failures of Pittsburgh Technical College and Triangle Tech, two schools that train young people (and older people) for careers as skilled workers, showcase the disruption in all types of higher education from economic and demographic shifts. It’s easy, in a world that has come to see four-year colleges as the only worthy post-secondary education, to consider these closures beneath notice. https://loom.ly/jfQeQPg

By broadening our focus from “go to college” to “get on a meaningful educational pathway,” we can successfully address all of these issues. Every student will eventually build a career. For most, it will likely be after attending some form of college or postsecondary education.

Five things you should know about career and technical education this #CTEMonth: 1. Career technical education exploration is open to middle and high school students. 2. Academic plans are made to guide students from high school to college. 3. Students can earn early college credits through career technical education. 4. Regional occupational programs make career technical education classes accessible to all students. 5. Career technical education programs have a variety of options for career exploration. To dig deeper, check out this article by OCDE Newsroom:

🎓 Across U.S. colleges, adult learners are transitioning from a ‘non-traditional’ to a ‘mainstream’ learner status. At Reach University, we see the realities for an adult learner each day. With an average age of 37, Reach’s undergrads juggle full-time work, family, and college, yet still achieve a 97% retention rate from one semester to the next, exceeding national retention averages. How? Beyond #ApprenticeshipDegree program design and faculty intervention, it comes down to effective adult learner support. Ko Kim, Reach’s SVP of Candidate Affairs, and her hands-on team share their top four learnings in ensuring adult learners achieve their degree and career aspirations. 🚀 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gbQH5n6V Do you work closely with adult learners? Share your insights in the comments below. #AdultLearners #Job2Degree #Degree #HigherEd

As we look to begin the new fiscal year in education next month, how can we overcome this hurdle? New programs? New student supports? Enhanced first year experience--expand second year---add 3rd and 4th year? Revisit the 3 yr degree path? Update online courses to include more workforce skills? Microcredentials? The list of options is long, institutions need to look to their student base and potential students as their "target market" and determine what that target is looking for in an education and respond accordingly. College students say personal reasons cause them to stop out (insidehighered.com)

DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM Dual enrollment programs offer high school students the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses while still completing their secondary education. These programs allow students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously, providing a head start on their higher education journey. By participating in dual enrollment, students can explore a wide range of subjects, discover their academic interests, and challenge themselves with college-level coursework. Moreover, dual enrollment can significantly reduce the time and cost associated with obtaining a college degree, as students can potentially graduate from college earlier and with fewer expenses. One of the key benefits of dual enrollment programs is their ability to enhance student's academic and personal growth. By engaging in college-level coursework, students develop critical thinking, time management, and study skills that are essential for success in higher education. Overall, dual enrollment programs empower students to make informed decisions about their future academic and career paths while laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and achievement. TalentServe #dualenrollmentprogram #education

Happy #CommunityCollege Month! It's crucial to recognize that our approach to education requires not just reform but a transformative leap forward. The recent insights from Jobs for the Future (JFF) underscore the urgency of dismantling outdated silos and embracing a new educational paradigm. 💡 Embrace Adaptive Challenges: Unlike technical issues solved by known methods, adaptive challenges in education demand innovative thinking and willingness to change. We have to move from compliance to genuine agility, ensuring educational models are as dynamic as the world around us. 💡 Focus on Continuous Learning: The future belongs to those who learn, unlearn, and relearn. We have to foster a mindset where ongoing education parallels lifelong career trajectories, supported by models like competency-based education that prioritize skills over time spent in a classroom. https://lnkd.in/gsC7esxA

Thrilled to announce our recent article, "Navigating the New Frontier: Innovation in Adult Teaching Post-COVID-19," co-authored with Abdel Yosef and Kristy Johnson from Unitek Learning. Published in Career Education Review, it delves into adult teaching in the post-COVID era. Dive in! Link to the journal: https://lnkd.in/gKSiKkpR #HigherEducation #Innovation #CareerEducationReview

"When students face unequal opportunities to learn and grow, it inevitably affects their academic performance and potential. By addressing the opportunity gap, we can mitigate the factors that contribute to the achievement gap, fostering a more inclusive and equitable educational environment for all students." Learn more about the achievement gap and how college and career readiness strategies can be used to help close it, in this blog by Nicholas Patterson of Southern New Hampshire University. ⬇