Non-degree credentials are critical to businesses and the economy, but our financial aid policies have not been updated to reflect the changing needs of students and workers in the 21st century economy. This is due, in part, to limited agreement on how to ensure that occupational education and training programs are aligned with the needs of industry and of sufficient quality to justify federal and state aid.
A new WDQC publication entitled, Programs that Work: Quality Assurance for Short-Term Occupational Programs analyzes whether various quality assurance mechanisms are suitable to ensure that programs leading to credentials are high-quality. Programs that Work also offers state and federal policy recommendations that would direct financial aid to short-term occupational programs that provide training for in-demand jobs or start people on a career pathway to a family-sustaining wage.
WDQC is a project of National Skills Coalition