ERIC Number: ED579160
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Nov
Pages: 33
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Stackable Credentials: Do They Have Labor Market Value? CCRC Working Paper No. 97
Bailey, Thomas; Belfield, Clive R.
Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
Stackable credentials--sequential postsecondary awards that allow individuals to progress on a career path--have been suggested as a way to enhance the labor market prospects of middle-skill workers. Yet, thus far, little evidence has been provided on the economic value of these credentials. Here, we report a series of estimates on the association between stackable credentials and earnings. We use national, survey, and college-system-level datasets. A significant body of evidence indicates that the labor market returns to certificates--along with those to college degrees--are positive. But our estimates of stackable credentials show only weakly positive and inconsistent gains from these award combinations. Generally, these estimates are indistinguishable from the returns to only one postsecondary credential. There is no clear evidence of how earnings vary across types of stack--progressive, supplemental, or independent--or student characteristics. However, estimated earnings gains from stackable credentials may be imprecise. Few college students stack awards, the motives for stacking are unknown, and notably, the number of stacked awards depends on whether general vocational awards are included. Future research should examine why students stack awards and how they can choose combinations of awards that maximize their earnings gains from stacking.
Descriptors: Awards, Labor Market, Job Skills, Cost Effectiveness, Correlation, Credentials, National Surveys, Databases, College Graduates, Postsecondary Education, Community Colleges, Career Development, Labor Force Development, Wages, Salaries, Academic Degrees, Educational Attainment, Vocational Education, Income, Surveys, Allied Health Occupations
Community College Research Center. Available from: CCRC Publications. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; Fax: 212-678-3699; e-mail: ccrc@columbia.edu; Web site: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Authoring Institution: Columbia University, Community College Research Center
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A