Whether it’s a “friend in the business” who gives you good advice, or a VIP pass to the front of the line, having an advantage just feels good, and students at Continuing Education are learning this first-hand.
Ernest Bolden is a student in the Auto Technician Job Training/Certificate Program. He’s preparing to enter the Automotive Service Technology program at Miramar College, but first he’s getting a background education through Continuing Education. “I‘ll have an advantage when I go to Miramar,” he says. “Using this background knowledge will give me an advantage over students who don’t have the same education that I’ve received at Continuing Education.”
Continuing Education serves 90,000+ students annually who attend classes for many reasons. Some are preparing for college, others have plans to complete a certificate program, and many are sharpening career skills that will lead them to a better job, or a promotion.
For the nearly 10,000 students looking to improve basic skills—or transition from Continuing Education to college—math, English, ESL, and computers are among the most popular classes. Data confirms students who enroll in noncredit classes at Continuing Education before going to college, can do better in college classes than students who did not attend Continuing Education classes before enrolling.
This success is seen in higher placement scores for reading and writing; greater retention and completion rates, and greater overall success rates. Plus, when Continuing Education students transition to college, they are given priority registration at City, Mesa, and Miramar Colleges—an advantage that Maria Elena Hernandez is excited about.
“My instructors helped me believe in myself and take advantage of the opportunity to improve my skills,” said Maria. Maria earned a job training certificate from Continuing Education, and passed the state exam to become a licensed Certified Nursing Assistant. Now she is transitioning to Mesa College’s LVN program—just one more step toward her long-term goal to become a registered nurse.
Continuing Education is making it even easier for college-bound students by creating new classes that are specifically designed to help with transition. ACE2 (Accelerated College English) is a partnership between Continuing Education and Mesa College that facilitates a smooth transition of students from noncredit to transfer-level credit English. ESL Transition to College focuses on reading, writing, and taking notes from lectures. Students also learn about college programs, and how to apply.
Behnur Tsegay enrolled in ESL Transition to College and will enroll at City College to take health care classes. His long-term goal is to become a medical doctor. “I have an advantage over other students because the classes are teaching me how to think critically. The ways the instructors teach are preparing me for college,” he said.
While transition is a big part of the Continuing Education Advantage, another important focus is on completion, which gives students a better opportunity at jobs. It is estimated that by 2019, 45,122 more jobs in San Diego County will require education beyond high school, such as a certificate of completion.
President Obama has called upon community colleges to increase degree and certificate completions by 5 million by 2020. In support of this initiative, the Community College League of California convened a commission that has called upon community colleges in California to increase certificate and AA degree completions by 1 million by 2020.
These are lofty goals and Continuing Education has stepped up to the plate—offering 25+ short-term job training programs that give both college-bound and career-bound students an advantage. When students complete a program, they can enter the job market with valuable skills, or continue to college and pursue an Associate degree within an industry. For those who choose to continue in education, select articulation agreements are in place with SDCCD Colleges, which can give students the advantage of having partial college credit for the training program completed at Continuing Education.
The Continuing Education Advantage is about giving students access and resources so they gain knowledge and skills that propel them to the next step in achieving their goals—whether goals include college or career. Ultimately students learn new skills that will lead to a better job and more financial stability.
*Resources: Noncredit to Credit Transition Study, SDCCD Office of Institutional Planning. SDCCD Continuing Education Student Profile Fall 2010. A Report of the Commission on the Future, Community College League of California. Economic Impact on Region: 2009-2011, EMSI.