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Building skills toward a career

By CCBC Stories

February 5^th, 2024

Many of today’s college students are juggling a lot – jobs, family, finances – all while pursuing an education. Dealing with such demands requires options that are flexible, allowing students to enter and exit academic pursuits while achieving short-term goals.

That is where stackable credentials come into play; focused areas of study with relatively few credits that can be “stacked” as part of a sequence of credentials. Stacked credentials can be accumulated over time, building a person’s qualifications, leading to different or higher-paying jobs and eventually to an associate degree.

Stackable credentials allow students to earn credentials at their own pace. They provide a pathway to a certificate or a degree that is often more affordable and better suited to those who can only study part-time, but who still want to see their education positively impact their career path. It’s a flexible and affordable way for people to learn the skills they need to be competitive in today’s workforce.

BettyAnn Kehl found that to be true when she started with CCBC’s Behavioral Health Counseling Trainee Certificate. Kehl, who already had a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, said the certificate changed the trajectory of her life.

“After completing the (first) certificate, I knew I wanted to be a counselor,” said Kehl. “It gave me the opportunity to start a new career.”

Kehl continued at CCBC earning a Behavioral Health Counseling Advanced Certificate, proceeded to earn a Human Services Counseling associate degree and pretty soon she will have the equivalency of a bachelor’s degree in Human Services Counseling based on credits earned. She is currently working as a substance abuse counselor, and she plans to keep moving forward earning a master’s degree and eventually becoming a clinical supervisor with her own practice.

“The certificates allow you to increase your skill level,” said Kehl. “Each step gives you the opportunity for greater responsibility and pay.”

According to Laura Cripps, CCBC Asst. Dean, Curriculum/Assess, there’s no “one size fits all” approach to higher education.

“Not everyone has the time or finances to take the traditional higher education path,” said Cripps. “Stackable credentials let you learn skills that allow quick entry into the workplace, position you for upward mobility and puts you on the path to earning an associate degree, if you choose, with no credits wasted. It provides an education in a way that meets a students’ needs wherever they are in life’s journey.”