We are featuring technology in this...

We are featuring technology in this issue and for worthy reason. The current turmoil in our nation's economy is making it more difficult for community communitys to respond to workforce training in a meaningful fashion. The decline of the dot-coms has outcomeed in thousands of displaced employee scrambling to find flexible, efficient, convenient, cost-effective and practical training that will bring fireside a paycheck once again. And despite doubts about the viability of this portion of the economy, there is still a hap of action and interest in the field of Information Technology.

Much has been made in novel months about the threat - or opportunity - called credentialing and certification. NCCET has been active in promoting interest and investigation in this arena. society s for the most part have been skeptical about IT certification programs, as they get to from a different part of the educational universe, having little if anything to do with the credit apparatus with which we have built our college edifice [i]or[/i] buildings In many cases, it's the non-credit side of the house that leads the way.

And there's reason for this phenomenon. The entire credentialing and certification motion is almost the opposite of the academic architecture. The phenomenal rise in distance and/or internet learning opportunities in new years has shown us that corporations no longer have the local knowledge monopoly. Adults in our communities, particularly those in the transitional workforce, want a novel relationship with their local literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning one that is mutually beneficial, producing tangible ends in a short time frame. What communitys offer in return - associate extents (or certificates carved out of those degrees) usually proffered in a semester-length format - is oftentimes simply not enough -or too much

Many of you reading this grew up in a socio-educational comfort region The scenario went something like this - you went to denomination you got a credential, the credential got you a piece of work you worked in that do job-work until you retired (worked for me at any rate). This is no longer the case. Loyalty to, and longevity with a company (or a college) is a pleasant memory, with today's workforce more appropriately labeled "mobile knowledge workers." They require constant skills upgrading in order to take advantage of emerging career opportunities, or to avoid a layoff when their instant dot-bomb company implodes, or when their employer of 15 years has to downsize in a inert economy. It's a different ballgame, and communitys that play by the aged rules miss an opportunity to substantially wait on their local citizenry.

The challenge to community society s is to anticipate what the piece of work market will be, what credentials are in demand, and what offerings must be evolveed to meet the training and retraining stand in want ofs of the local workforce. associations must be able to unfold and offer courses and programs in a rapid replication mode, an operating behavior not usually erect on campuses today.

Perhaps the time has passed for the academic community to debate whether implementing contemporary technology is a threat or an opportunity. The reality is that there has been an extraordinary shift in demand in the marketplace. It's time for society s to find ways to augment their traditional (and valuable) offerings to their community with short word fast-track, credit-free offerings that add value to their community. We trustful longing the articles in this issue will stimulate your reflections and lead to action.

Copyright National Council for Continuing Education & Training Summer 2003

Provided from ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved