An increasing preference for nondegree credentials evident prior to the pandemic has become even more apparent. Nondegree credentials can and sometimes should be part of a postsecondary education, but the inchoate credentials environment encourages poor planning and unwise decisions. The competitive advantages that a balanced education can offer…

The information presented in this brief comes from exploratory research activities designed to understand the role of career navigators; the competencies they need to be successful; and considerations for hiring, supporting, and training them. This brief can be used by adult education practitioners to: (1) Define job responsibilities and design…

Purpose: Academic innovation strives to benefit from an ample talent pool, and entrepreneurship and research competitions constitute an integral part of the effort. This prompts discussions about how to optimize the impact of interdisciplinary learning, especially for less-traditional participants. The main purpose of this article is to describe…

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences, integral for equipping students with the skills and knowledge crucial for employment and success in their chosen careers, have traditionally been associated with accreditation requirements in professional programs. More recently, acknowledging the importance of WIL experiences in non-professional…

COL's mission is to help governments, institutions and organisations expand the scale, efficiency and quality of learning by using appropriate open, distance and technology-based approaches. In 2021-2027, COL will: i) build on its expertise in ODL, OER and TEL to play a more influential role in national policy development and implementation; ii)…

Inclusive post-secondary education (PSE) for students with intellectual disabilities (IDs) is becoming increasingly common in colleges and universities. A majority of these inclusive PSE programs focus on academic enrichment, socialization, independent living skills, integrated work experiences, and career skills. Thus, in inclusive PSE programs,…

Increased value is placed on students having real-world learning experiences. Application classes such as Digital Marketing provide the opportunity for students to achieve this experience. Employers place value with employees having both hard skills and soft skills. To support learning both hard and soft skills, the Enterprise Marketing Variation…

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated with vivid clarity how important it is for people to have digital literacy skills. From the workplace to the classroom and beyond, being able to use digital tools effectively is fundamental to success. To succeed in this rapidly changing environment, workers need broad-based digital problem-solving skills that…

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) has implemented a 60-hour "Pathway to Success" course for inmates who wish to enroll in vocational coursework. The purpose of this course is two-fold: to ensure that PADOC inmates are enrolling in vocational courses for which they have both the aptitude and the interest to excel, and to…

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act) is the primary federal law aimed at developing and supporting career and technical education (CTE) programs for secondary and postsecondary students. In the 109th Congress, the Perkins Act was reauthorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of…

Cross-sector competencies are employability knowledge, skills, and dispositions that--along with academic and career-specific skills--make up a career-ready graduate. As schools work to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing economy, they need to have clear and measurable definitions of what students should know and be able to do in…

The role the Oklahoma state system of higher education plays in meeting the state's workforce development goals has never been more vital. Public colleges and universities educate the state's teachers, nurses, doctors, and engineers. Graduates drive innovation, build companies, enrich communities, and strengthen the state's workforce in an…

Skills are at the heart of industrial policy. The EU Industry Days 2019 demonstrated that skills are one of the main concerns of business leaders and social partners. Finding enough people with right skills and access to talents are key for the future of European industry. To prepare the longer-term vision of EU industry, the European Commission…

Preparing secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for a variety of potential professions is important to enhance their postsecondary employment outcomes. This article provides step-by-step guidelines for practitioners to use video modeling interventions to develop the customer service skills of students with ASD who are employed or…

The purpose of this Policy Impact Snapshot is to identify the major categories of career and technical education (CTE) currently available within our nation's secondary and postsecondary education systems and describe the existing research on whether these programs are achieving desired outcomes for students. This Policy Impact Snapshot describes…