"Stackable" credentials offer opportunities for college students to start by earning short-term credentials in vocational and technical fields, then stack additional credentials as they progress in careers, building skills in the classroom and in the workforce. Stackable credentials come at a cost: colleges expend resources in developing…

In 2010, the government announced their latest drive to raise the status of vocational qualifications in secondary education. This overhaul was subsequently enacted based on recommendations made by Alison Wolf in her review of vocational education. As a result, the Department for Education (DfE) introduced four new categories of vocational…

While young people are generally better educated today than ever before, recent graduates tend to lack practical skills -- especially digital skills. Certification programs offer one effective way to address this digital skills gap. They give learners a way to gain the skills they need to compete, and also to demonstrate credibly that they possess…

A model describing the development of curriculum and coursework for dual certification programs in two-year postsecondary vocational education institutions throughout China is described. Dual certification programs allow students to obtain an academic diploma and a national vocational qualification certificate concurrently. Chinese educators and…

There has been a significant increase in the popularity of non-degree graduate certificates throughout the past decade. This increase has raised questions about the value of engineering graduate certificate programs from students, alumni, and employers. Do engineering certificate programs provide real world skills and knowledge? Do they serve as…

This paper reviews recent research that has questioned the efficacy of using what has been defined as "policy with regards to student motivation" to enhance retention and achievement among vocational students. This research examined the contradictions between GNVQ and AVCE policy and the student perceptions of these courses at two…

This publication is a history of the College of Higher Vocational Studies (CHVS) since it was established in 1991 and provides commentary on developments in higher vocational education in Hong Kong during a period of unprecedented change and development in the provision of the Higher Diploma. "Principal's Diary" (Bradford Imrie)…

If colleges and universities were to step away from their traditional certification and credentializing activities, employers might develop alternative, and likely better, measures by which to evaluate candidates. (Author/PG)

Accreditation of adult learning raises two issues: (1) whether accrediting processes are the right ones and (2) which educational values and principles underlie them. Accreditation based on flexible accumulation and transfer of achievements is needed to document the vital learning outcomes of adult education. (SK)

Tracing the development of the Continuing Education Unit (CEU), the article defines the CEU as "10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction." Also discussed are criteria for implementation and some pros and cons of CEU usage. (MW)

The certificate and diploma programs in seven 2-year colleges of New York State were studied to determine conditions under which such programs succeed and to advise other 2-year colleges of the feasibility of operating such programs or modifications of such programs. Specific objectives of the study were: (1) to view certificate and diploma…

This report presents the experiences and outcomes of accounting standards-setters who have, in many cases, been successful in establishing a national, uniform system of certification for public accountants. An executive summary appears first. The report begins with two sections that examine the evolution of accounting into a 20th-century…

This report proposes a coherent national framework for Great Britain that covers all the main qualifications and achievements of young people at every level of ability. It recognizes achievement outside the main formal qualifications as part of a restructured National Record of Achievement. The report proposes a national framework based on the…