Report Stackable Credentials in Career Education at California Community Colleges By Sarah Bohn, Shannon McConville Oct 22, 2018 California is investing in career education programs at its community colleges. Stackable credentials are a key component—students who “stack” multiple, related awards can build skills and increase earnings over time. We need to know more about how well-designed stackable credential programs help students succeed.
blog post Video: Stackable Credentials at California Community Colleges By Mary Severance Oct 26, 2018 PPIC's new report looks at stackable credentials in California's community colleges, a key component of career education programs that can advance students' skills and career opportunities over time.
event Stackable Credentials in Career Education at California Community Colleges Oct 23, 2018 Community colleges serve a wide range of students pursuing career education. Connecting these students to opportunities for career advancement is an important policy goal that can be furthered by stackable credentials—sequential certificates and degrees that allow students to build qualifications over time. PPIC researcher Shannon McConville will outline a recent report that looks at the link between well-designed stackable pathways and student success in the community college system.
blog post Moving up the Health Career Ladder By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn Feb 24, 2017 Community colleges are working on ways to help students earn certificates sequentially and move up a career ladder—upward mobility in action.
Report Health Training Pathways at California’s Community Colleges By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Landon Gibson Dec 1, 2016 State and federal policymakers looking to improve economic mobility and meet workforce needs have renewed their focus on career technical education. Health training is of particular interest—California’s community colleges offer a range of health programs and credentials and demand is growing for health workers with some college training. Students who earn shorter-term health credentials tend to see relatively low wage gains, and relatively few return to school to pursue higher-level training. Targeted outreach and support could help more students move along pathways to higher earnings. This research was supported with funding from the ECMC Foundation and the Sutton Family Fund.
blog post Testimony: Career Education Is Key to Meeting California’s Workforce Needs By Sarah Bohn Nov 27, 2018 About two-thirds of new jobs created in California over the next decade will require more than a high school diploma. Career education can help meet the demand of a knowledge-based economy.
press release Most Californians Who Obtain Career Education Credentials Earn Middle-Income Wages within a Year of Completion Jun 26, 2019
Report Career Pathways and Economic Mobility at California’s Community Colleges By Sarah Bohn, Jacob Jackson, Shannon McConville Jun 26, 2019 Career education credentials from California’s community colleges can help students advance in the labor market. But some programs offer larger economic returns than others, and it can take a long time for students to see increased earnings. Improving student outcomes—while also responding to future workforce needs—is a challenging but critical task facing the state.
Report Improving Career Education Pathways into California’s Workforce By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks, Mina Dadgar Jul 27, 2021 COVID-19 hit workers with less education hardest, underscoring the need for public investments in workforce training. In this report, we describe student pathways through career education programs at community colleges and discuss insights from stakeholder interviews on how to help more people complete programs and connect to quality jobs.
