Monday, May 8, 2017

Is the college degree outdated? - Laura Pappano, the Hechinger Report

The bachelor’s degree may be the classic pass to join the world of work, but increasingly it’s no longer enough. We have entered a “prove it” economy in which codified skills are currency. It’s driving a revolution in how education is constructed, delivered, used — and credentialed. Even as degrees, from associates to doctorates, proliferate, they are joined — maybe trumped — by thousands of resume-worthy credentials from shorter, non-degree programs. Half of recent college graduates are not using skills they learned in college at work; 86 percent are learning new skills outside of college. The credentials come from many sources: traditional universities, online platforms like edX, trade organizations like the American Hotel and Lodging Institute and companies like Jiffy Lube and IBM. Content and costs vary. Some are earned in quick sessions; others take months. http://hechingerreport.org/college-degree-outdated/