Earning a college degree is a great way to advance your career. According to the Georgetown Center for Education and Work, in most cases, more education results in more opportunities and higher pay.[1]

Often times, however, the time and expense of going back to school is great and can appear to outweigh the advantages. Degree programs take several years, and thousands of dollars to complete. Still, it is possible to gain the skills and knowledge you need to advance in your career without earning a degree and, more importantly, without falling behind on your other responsibilities.

Following are five things that you can do to get ahead in your career in less time and for less money than a conventional degree program.

1.Build Your Skills

There are a number of jobs that require the mastery and practical application of essential skills, jobs such as electrician, welder and machine tooling. Acquiring new skills, or improving ones you already have can help you to advance in your current job, or open the door to a whole new career.

As you think about your next steps, conduct an inventory of the skills you currently have and what is needed for you to take the next step.

• Is there a skill you have that you would like to develop further?
• Is there a particular technology that you need be trained in?
• Is there a skill that you can develop to fill a unique niche in the market?
• Are there any licensing exams you can take that will advance you to the next step in your career?

A workforce training and development program can provide you with the skills you need and prepare you to advance you to the next level in your career.

2. Show What You Know

There is a lot of talk these days about credentials. A credential let’s an employer know what knowledge and skills you have to offer. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is one way to earn credentials. But you can also earn credentials by completing a certificate program. And, unlike a bachelor’s or master’s degree, which can take many years, most certificates can be completed in less than one year.

Certificates are one of the fastest growing post-secondary credentials in today’s job market. When looking for a certificate program, look for one where the skills gained align with the requirements of the job you seek. Also, look for programs led by knowledgeable faculty, who are experts in their field. Their expertise will not only give you the knowledge you need, but will ensure that your program meets the latest industry standards. Finally, look for certificate programs that give you the skills you need right away,  as well as the skills you need for long-term advancement, skills such as communication, problem-solving and leadership.

Live and Learn

Adult learners are the fastest growing population on many college campuses. A number of colleges and universities have adjusted their program offerings to accommodate the needs and busy schedules of adult learners, many of whom are balancing work and family life along with school.

Convenient evening and weekend classes are just one example of the accommodations being made so that adult learners don’t need to take time off from work to return to school. Online and satellite locations make it possible for adult learners to learn where they live and work, which makes it easier to attend classes. And, finally, the creation of student cohorts, allows even online students to be part of a learning community that offers support and encouragement throughout.

Get Help

Perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks to returning to school is the high cost of tuition. Degree programs, even part-time, are costly. Workforce training and certificate programs, however, provide a way to earn the skills and credentials you need, at a lower cost.

When looking for a workforce training or certificate program, look for one that offers a payment plan. Some plans allow you to break down the cost of tuition into smaller, more manageable payments. Also, look for scholarship opportunities. While not as plentiful as for full-time degree, programs, there are a handful of scholarships that provide assistance to students in short-term training and certificate programs. Finally, many employers and organizations such as the VA and unions, provide tuition reimbursement, particularly if the skills and knowledge acquired will help you to advance in your career. An Admissions Counselor in the program to which you are applying should be able to help you locate sources of funding.

Make it Count

Many workforce training and certificate programs are not credit bearing. This means that while you might earn continuing education units (CEU’s), you will not earn credits that can be applied to a degree should you decide to pursue one down the road. With the current push towards preparing students not only for the immediate needs of the job market, but for long-term changes and fluctuations, many colleges and universities, now offer what they call “stackable” certificates. These are programs that, while they are valuable in and of themselves, can be counted as credits towards a bachelor’s degree down the road.  A stackable, or credit-bearing certificate, will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to enhance your career now, along with the credits you want to advance your education in the future.

Conclusion

To get ahead in today’s job market, you don’t need to make the long-term commitment of time and money to a degree program. Workforce training and certificate programs, many of which are offered at convenient times and locations, can provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to get ahead, in less time and at a fraction of the cost of a degree. And, the right workforce training or certificate program, will not only help you take the next step in your career, it will open the door to a life of learning.

[1] Carnavale, Anthony, and Ben Cheah. “Five Rules of the College and Career Game.” Georgetown University, Center of Education and the Workforce, 2018.

As a leader in education for the built environment, Wentworth Institute of Technology is on the leading edge of building innovation. We recently asked professor John Cribbs to share his thoughts on a significant innovation, Building Information Modeling, or BIM, which promises to revolutionize the ways buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained. 

 What is BIM?

Productivity in the construction industry is declining due, in part, to the continued reliance on traditional design and fabrication information typically found in two-dimensional drawings. While various sectors of the manufacturing industry have adopted the use of digital models for product design and fabrication, the construction industry is still heavily reliant on people, rather than computers, to read and interpret important data. In response to this, the AEC industry is becoming increasingly focused on Building Information Modeling, or BIM. Alternately defined as a process and as a digital object model, BIM is changing the way those in the construction industry understand and visualize a building from planning through final use, ultimately, improving productivity.

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) defines BIM as: a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such, it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable base for decisions during its life cycle.” Put another way, BIM describes tools, processes and technologies, that are facilitated by machine-readable documentation about a building, its performance, planning, construction and operation. Together, these varied parts create a Building Information Model, or interactive representation of a facility as it is designed or exists. Unlike traditional, 2d CAD drawings, and more advanced 3d CAD drawings, BIM combines the 3d CAD models with all the information required for designing, building and maintaining a facility.

The BIM Landscape

A shortage of skilled labor, along with shifts in supply-chain management and declining productivity have created a unique landscape for the growth of BIM in the AEC industry.  A recent study by McGraw Hill Smart Market Report, indicates that several factors, including the retirement of baby boomers, recession, and inadequate training for incoming workers have contributed to a significant labor shortage especially among specialty trade contractors, such as HVAC and the electrical trades. A similar study by the NIBS found that by the year 2020, the US will experience a shortage of nearly 1 million engineers.

At the same time, an increase in the use of technology in place of manual labor, greater process enhancement and project complexity have shifted traditional approaches to AEC supply chain management. Together with declining productivity, and the lasting impacts of the financial downturn of 2008, these changes have led to shifts in project management. Some in the industry have responded by reverting back to more traditional practices, relying on basic design, bid and build to win projects and recoup losses, while others have innovated new approaches to push the envelope in integrated knowledge-based project delivery. The purpose of this approach is to realize significant gains through shared expertise and knowledge, as well as the successful delivery of a project under budget and on an expedited schedule.

With the emergence of integrated teams, delivery methods for design and construction of facilities and supply-chain management techniques has come the growth of more transparent design and construction documentation methods, like BIM, which has been adopted at different rates throughout the AEC industry and building lifecycle.

The future of BIM

At Wentworth, the Miles and Eugenia Sweeney Department of Construction Management is committed to promoting these proven technologies through the introduction of a new physical lab/classroom space dedicated to integrated and interdisciplinary technology solutions. The new Bond Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Lab at Wentworth will provide students–from undergraduates, to part-time students, to corporate training partners–with access to state-of-the-art technology and expose them to tools and processes which are becoming AEC industry standard (many of which are BIM-centric). The lab offers a unique setting for cross-disciplinary education and is meant to foster a collaborative learning process which engages multiple academic departments as well as industry partners.

In the Bond Virtual Design and Construction Lab, students can expect to:

• Experience how project teams and various disciplines understand and visualize building and infrastructure projects through the engagement of BIM;
• Get hands-on training in various software tools to manage information used in the design, construction, scheduling, and budgeting processes which directly impact overall project outcomes;
• Learn how to visually understand a project in multiple dimensions or phases with different objectives;
• Develop the skills needed to advance in a successful career in the AEC industry.

Technology offers another layer in which to understand a building or infrastructure. The appropriate use of technology has been shown to save time and money, enhance stakeholder collaboration/communication, and create better overall project outcomes when compared with more traditional methods. As the AEC industry begins to adopt and embrace these innovative approaches to designing, constructing, and operating/maintaining our built environment, we challenge our students, and partners, to do the same.

About the Author:

Dr. John Cribbs is an Assistant Professor of Construction Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Dr. Cribbs earned his PhD in Construction Management from the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. His research focused on Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows for enhanced quality control and labor time utilization for coordinated MEP and specialty trade equipment, from design-to-install, in retrofit environments. Before joining Wentworth, Dr. Cribbs served as a Principal at Green Ideas Building Science Consultants, based in Phoenix.

References:

McGraw-Hill (2012). Construction Industry Workforce Shortages: Role of Certification, Training and Green Jobs in Filling the Gaps. SmartMarket Report.

ANSI (2007). National Building Information Modeling Standard. NBim, 180.