Reimagining Non-Credit Higher Education: The Impact of Non-Credit Short-Term Accelerated Postsecondary Workforce Training at Santa Fe Community College

Abstract

An estimated five million Americans participate in non-credit college and university classes annually. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) does not require the reporting of non-credit student postsecondary enrollment, which means there is a lack of data about non-credit higher education. This qualitative case study provides a deeper understanding of 14 student experiences at Santa Fe Community College who participated in non-credit, short-term, accelerated workforce training programs. The findings reveal that students who engage in Santa Fe Community College’s non-credit postsecondary opportunities, are low-wage or unemployed working age adults who value short-term non-credit programs because they lead to higher wage job attainment and personal resiliency. The information gathered in the case study shows that non-credit, short-term, accelerated workforce programs can confer critical technological and interpersonal skill sets necessary for emerging 21^st century jobs. The implication of these findings supports the urgent need to gather non-credit student enrollment data to better support non-credit students through; (a) direct resource allocation; (b) needs-based financial aid; (c) employer-college partnerships; (d) increased durable skills training; and (e) the creation of new systems of higher education that increase postsecondary access to currently marginalized student populations. The findings discussed here inform the production of the ten-minute documentary film, Getting Pointed in the Right Direction: Reimaging Non-Credit Higher Education, created as part of this case study. The documentary film demonstrates how Santa Fe Community College students use non-credit workforce education to acquire new skills and increase their ability to navigate complex career entry points.