This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.
A college degree can be both personally and professionally life changing. "Lifetime earnings of someone with a college degree is over a million dollars more than those entering the workforce without one," says State University of New York trustee Stanley S. Litow.
As rewarding as a degree can be, financial considerations, time constraints, life circumstances, personal preferences or other reasons can make full-time enrollment challenging; more than half of US adults over 25 don’t have a college degree, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau tally.
Thankfully, high paying jobs are not out of reach.
The Rise of Skills-Based Hiring
Industry certifications are increasingly recognized as a viable pathway to middle-class jobs. These certifications, available in high-demand fields such as technology, healthcare, and skilled trades, validate an individual's expertise and skills, making them attractive to employers.
The proof is in the pudding: 1 in 3 companies, including leading firms such as Google, IBM, Tesla, GM and Accenture, have removed college degree requirements for thousands of jobs in favor of skills-based hiring in recent years.
Demand for short-term career training has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit our country. Community colleges with a focus on vocational programs have experienced particularly high growth—a 16 percent increase in enrollment compared to 2022 and 3.7 percent above enrollment pre-pandemic.
As the largest educational institution in Westchester County, SUNY Westchester Community College has been meeting the demand for alternative pathways into the labor market through the college’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) – the largest vocational division in the entire SUNY system. Each year, WDCE offers hundreds of short-term training courses across a wide variety of fields, many of which lead to industry certifications.
Industry certifications can serve as a steppingstone or entry point into a long-term career. Many learners begin by earning a certification and then progress to a degree program that aligns with their industry. “Our approach enables us to meet individuals where they are in their career journey, guiding them through various career pathways,” says Dr. LaTasha Hamlett-Carver, Assistant Dean for Workforce Development at SUNY Westchester. “It’s important to recognize that there are multiple entry and exit points along the way – including those who come back for certifications to supplement their degrees –allowing for flexibility in advancing their skills and education at their own pace.”
“We really do it all,” says Dr. Hamlett-Carver. “Whether someone wants to explore new interests, get started in a new field, or obtain additional training and certifications to advance their career, we can help. In a few weeks to a few months, our training classes put people on the road to good paying careers in IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, real estate and insurance, and much more. Some of our certification tracks, like historic preservation, are offered at no other community colleges in New York. And all our classes align with growing sectors of the local economy.”
Quality & Affordability
Quality and affordability are cornerstones of SUNY Westchester’s mission, with the lowest college tuition among higher education institutions in Westchester. Career skills classes are taught by instructors with extensive first-hand experience in their respective industries. WDCE offers a number of workforce development scholarships to underwrite the cost of specific training tracks and for specific types of learners: trades training (the rock band Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation), women pursuing trades careers (Carhartt Foundation), underserved communities (PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship), displaced homemakers (Project Transition), healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction (the SUNY Empowering Opportunities; Future of Work Center Grant), and commercial cannabis (Pathways to Success).
Business Services
WDCE also serves as a resource for Westchester’s business community. Its Gateway to Entrepreneurship program increases the financial savviness of budding entrepreneurs, including those in the emerging cannabis industry. WDCE’s Corporate and Continuing Professional Education arm develops customized training for companies on topics ranging from technical upskilling to project management to Lean Six Sigma.
WDCE Fall 2024 Workforce Development Classes
Business & Financial Education
- Financial Management for Nonprofits (starts 10/7)
- Launch a Business through Business Modeling & Thinking like an Entrepreneur (starts 9/14)
- Introduction to Cannabis Entrepreneurship (TBD)
- Understanding your Business Financials (starts 10/19)
- Computer Essentials (series starts 9/14)
- Microsoft Office Skills series: Word & Excel (Intro, Intermediate, Advanced), Outlook and Teams (series starts 9/16)
- Data Analytics with CompTIA Data+ Certification and SQL Basics (starts 9/16)
- Visual Data Analytics with Intro to Tableau (starts 11/25)
- Fundamentals of Power BI (starts 11/4)
- Entry-Level IT Helpdesk Technician (TBD)
- Python Programming series: Part 1, Part 2 and PCEP Accelerated Exam Prep (series starts 9/17)
- Red Hat Linux Administration (TBD)
- Intro to Machine Learning and Data Science featuring Python and Azure (series starts in September)
Continuing Professional Education
- Animal Training: Animal Assisted Activities / Pet Therapy (10/5 or 10/9)
- Food Service: “ServSafe” Food Service Sanitation & Safety (tracks start 9/14, 10/2, and 11/4); ServSafe Allergens (11/7)
- Non-Profits: Basic Grant Writing for Non-Profit Organizations (starts 10/10)
- Schools & Children: DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) NY State Approved Training (in-person 10/19 or remote 12/7); Mandated Training for Child Abuse and Neglect (in-person 9/21 or remote 11/2); School Violence Prevention and Intervention (in-person 10/28 or remote 11/23)
- NY State Civil Service: Exam Overview (starts 9/23)
- NY State Notary: Public Exam Prep (10/7) and Public Law Refresher (10/18)
Corporate Training: Business Process Management & Improvement
- Essentials of Business Process Management (starts 9/17)
- Process Mapping, Modeling and Analysis (starts 10/15)
- Performance Improvement Strategies (starts 11/14)
- Process Transformation (starts 12/5)
- Pharmacy Technician (remote track starts 9/14, in-person track starts 9/16)
- Electrocardiography (ECG) and Phlebotomy Technician (in-person tracks start 9/14, 10/1 and 10/21)
- Medical Administrative Assistant Training (remote track starts 9/10, in-person track starts 9/9)
- NYS Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Refresher Course (TBD)
- Intensive Clinical Medical Assistant (in-person AM and PM tracks start 9/16)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (in-person tracks start 9/7 and 9/10)
- American Heart Association Heartsaver® Adult/Child CPR/AED (10/19)
Interactive Design & Digital Arts
- Illustration and 2D Animation Certificate series (series starts 9/12)
- 3D Animation Certificate series (series starts 9/11)
- Digital Photography Certificate series (series starts 9/9); Advanced Digital Photography series (series starts 9/12)
- Mixed Reality (XR) Certificate series (series starts 9/9)
- Social Media Specialist Certificate series (series starts 9/12)
- Adobe Certified Professional Exam (ACP): Illustrator (starts 9/21), Photoshop (starts 11/23)
- 3D Modeling and Printing for Adults (starts 10/8)
Self-Paced Online Technical Training:
These on-demand classes are perfect for self-motivated individuals who prefer to learn at their own pace.
- Technician training options in partnership with George Brown College include Robotics, Electronics, PLC I & II, Electromechanical, and Automation Technician.
- Construction and Trades online courses in partnership with Ed2Go
Real Estate & Insurance Education
- Real Estate Salespersons (tracks start 9/10 and 10/20); RE Salesperson Exam Prep (10/23 or 12/1)
- Home Inspection Training Program (starts 9/9)
- Green Commercial Buildings: Issues, Systems, and Savings (10/24)
- Insurance Property and Casualty Brokers Pre-Licensing (starts 9/5)
- Personal Lines Insurance Pre-Licensing (starts 9/5)
- Historic Preservation Certificate series (series starts 9/11)
- NCCA Personal Fitness Trainer Certification (tracks start 10/8 and 10/12)
- NIMS Certification: Introduction to Manufacturing (starts 9/2); Introduction to Manual Machine Lathe and Turning Operations (starts 11/19)
- MSSC Certified Production Technician 4.0 (starts 11/19)
- Certified Fiber Optics Technician series (series starts 11/11)
- Foundations in Construction: NCCER Core + OSHA 30 (starts 9/23)
For more information about WDCE training options, visit https://www.sunywcc.edu/continuing-ed/ce/
Follow SUNY Westchester Workforce Development to hear about new classes: https://linktr.ee/sunywccwd
This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.
