Community college professionals actively cultivate social justice within the U.S. system of higher education. We seek to meet the community wherever they and their skills are and provide the opportunities to take their knowledge and credentials to the next level. This can include offering incarcerated-based education. This work can be life…

This report examines the growing interest in expanding access to postsecondary education through non-degree certificate programs and associate degree programs. This policy report seeks to better understand the implications of these trends by analyzing employment experiences and earnings outcomes of individuals whose highest level of educational…

When examining career pathways, post-secondary institutions such as community colleges align education and training to career success, aiming to connect students to gainful employment. Career pathways support the skill needs of industries and incorporate competencies in an occupation or field represented by certificates and degrees awarded by the…

Correctional education is a prevalent form of rehabilitation programming for prisoners in the United States. There is limited evidence, however, about the labor market returns to credentials received while incarcerated. Using incarceration, educational, and labor market data in Washington State, we study the labor market returns to GEDs and…

In Germany, about half of the school-leavers -- irrespective of their school-leaving certificate -- start an apprenticeship instead of entering the labour market or university. Firms act as gatekeepers who influence which school-leavers start an apprenticeship. Previous studies have provided important information on the reasons firms train. By…

There are hundreds of local labor markets fuel the American economy, and each one is driven by the needs of the local area's mix of industries and the skills of its workers. For each labor market to operate at its peak potential, these needs and skills must align. Achieving alignment requires local education and training providers to convey…

Few studies have been completed on the persistence of certificate-seeking students attending American proprietary career colleges. Therefore, this study investigated variables predicting the persistence of certificate-seeking students at ABC Career Health College (a pseudonym), a Texas proprietary career institution. Data for the quantitative…

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) are the primary providers of public postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities in the state. The purpose of this study was to determine which student demographic and enrollment characteristics significantly correlated with the completion of a postsecondary certificate or…

Local teacher recruitment through "grow-your-own" programs is a prominent strategy to address workforce shortages and ensure that incoming teachers resemble, understand, and have strong connections to their communities. We exploit the staggered rollout of the Teacher Academy of Maryland career and technical education certificate program…

We draw on administrative data from the country of Colombia to assess differences in student learning in online and traditional on-campus college programs. The Colombian context is uniquely suited to study this topic, as students take a compulsory exit examination at the end of their studies. We can therefore directly compare performance on the…

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…

The National Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) was introduced into South Africa's system of vocational training to 'solve problems of poor quality programmes, lack of relevance to the economy, as well as low technical and cognitive skills of TVET [technical and vocational education and training] graduates'. The NC(V) did not, however, meet…

Community colleges are not immune to the challenges faced by the education sector as they try to continue providing quality learning experiences during the ongoing pandemic. Some might argue that COVID-19 exposed vulnerabilities that have long needed attention, such as the 16-week semester model, a heavy reliance on in-person learning, a lack of…

Nearly all incarcerated adults will eventually be released to reenter communities and rebuild their lives. The literature indicates half of re-entering adults return to prison within five years and recidivism is higher for adults with low education attainment. The aim of this paper is to add to existing knowledge on incarcerated adult…

Postsecondary education is often equated with earning a bachelor's degree, but a large and growing part of postsecondary education involves earning subbaccalaureate credentials (associate's degrees and certificates). While some economists have focused on the role of bachelor's degree programs in meeting the demand for skills in the labor market,…