Education and Employment Research Center, Rutgers University

From the database of the Noncredit Research Collaborative: Dr. Di Xu of UC-Irvine, along with her co-authors (including Dr. Michael Cooper from UCI and Drs. Kelli Bird and Benjamin Castleman from University of Virginia) have conducted a series of studies on the Virginia FastForward program, offering significant insights. FastForward is a workforce development initiative designed to support students enrolling in noncredit programs at community colleges, leading to industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields in the Commonwealth. The program operates under a pay-for-performance model, where funding is shared between the state, students, and training institutions based on student program completion and credential attainment. In their analysis of FastForward outcomes, the researchers found that students who earned an industry-recognized certificate experienced an average increase in quarterly earnings of approximately $1,000 and a 2.4 percentage point higher likelihood of employment. More than 90% of enrolled students completed their training, and about two-thirds earned a certificate—outcomes significantly higher than comparable rates in similar programs. Only a small proportion of FastForward participants ever enrolled in the credit-bearing sector, suggesting that this program serves as an alternative pathway to higher education, particularly for individuals who may be underprepared for traditional credit-bearing programs. “Virginia’s FastForward program is one of the most cost-effective short-term training programs,” they conclude, “with earnings gains exceeding costs in just over half a year.”

From the database of the Noncredit Research Collaborative: One of the most critical questions about noncredit education is its connection to for-credit education. Practitioners and policymakers have long sought to ensure that noncredit education enables learners to continue learning and earn degrees that provide more long-term economic mobility. A number of studies in the NRC database bear on this question, mostly to answer in the negative. Peter Bahr and coauthors examined data from four states (IA, CA, TX, FL) and found that in all but California, more than 90% of noncredit students took no credit courses at all in the two years following first enrollment. In a study of 9 community colleges, Di Xu and Florence Ran found that only 8% of noncredit students expressed a desire to obtain a for-credit certificate or degree, and of those only 22% succeeded in doing so. A review by Michelle Van Noy, Sam Scovill, Ph.D., and Nicole Sandelier Boyd provides a helpful overview of studies on non-credit-to-credit connections. https://lnkd.in/e4eaV5x2

From the database of the Noncredit Research Collaborative: The Noncredit Research Collaborative team, along with their coauthors at EERC, have published a wide-ranging series of studies on state noncredit data systems. Through the State Noncredit Data Project (SNDP), they partnered with state higher education leaders in three states with cutting-edge noncredit data systems: Iowa, Louisiana, and Virginia. The team explored those states’ noncredit databases and published a 2023 cross-state study integrating the data insights from each state.   This year, SNDP explored a second cohort of states: Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In a new cross-state study, the team explored the commonalities and differences in the strategies these states utilize to track the data that matter for their needs. The SNDP findings are all available in the NRC database, as well as the “State Reports” section of the NRC website. https://lnkd.in/e4eaV5x2

Noncredit postsecondary education is on the rise. With more than 4 million learners and $5.6 billion in state public investments annually, it’s essential to better understand noncredit education: who enrolls, what they learn, and how their education and academic outcomes take shape after completion. Yet over the years little data has been released or even collected on noncredit programs, which fall outside the national data collection system for credit-bearing study. That’s why the State Noncredit Data Project (SNDP) is proud to announce the release of reports on noncredit education data systems in five states: Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In addition, EERC has prepared a cross-state study that integrates the state-level findings into a broader analysis, as well as data briefs on institutional data collection and workforce noncredit providers in New Jersey. The reports found variation in approaches to states’ data collection systems, but clear building blocks for understanding the size and shape of noncredit programs, students, and outcomes in those states. Read the reports here: https://lnkd.in/gBj4JqSJ

Join the NCRN's upcoming webinar titled, "Cultivating Equitable Pathways: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies in Utilizing Non-Degree Credentials" tomorrow! The webinar will be held from 2-3pm ET / 11-12pm PT. Register here: https://lnkd.in/edN3GXUs

Listen to EERC Director Michelle Van Noy on The Key, Inside Higher Ed’s podcast on all topics postsecondary. In this episode, Michelle and Amanda Winters, Program Director at the National Governors Association, explore the remarkable political alignment around workforce development and training, and how to strengthen it in the face of ever-growing trends toward polarization. The episode is hosted by Doug Lederman and sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. https://lnkd.in/ercSggnu

What are micro-credentials? What impact are they having on education and work in America? To learn more, join EERC Director Michelle Van Noy and Kathleen deLaski, founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, for a webinar sponsored by the Project on Workforce at Harvard University. The webinar will take place October 17th at noon EST. https://lnkd.in/emJ_Q53F

Check out our blog post on certifications, sharing lessons from states on their efforts to measure the value of industry certifications for learners. #Strada #certifications #credentialvalue #learneroutcomes

Check out our blog post on certifications, sharing lessons from states on their efforts to measure the value of industry certifications for learners. #Strada #certifications #credentialvalue #learneroutcomes

Inside Higher Ed Editor Doug Lederman interviewed EERC Director Michelle Van Noy on “The Key” to provide expert analysis on how colleges and universities are responding to the growing pressure to prepare learners for work. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts! Listen here: https://bit.ly/3VM7J82