Staying competitive in today’s fast-changing job market is a bigger need than it ever was, making upskilling a critical aspect of ongoing career development. Upskilling – simply defined as updating or learning new skills for your current or upcoming role – can take many different shapes and forms based on the unique needs of the learner or groups in your organization. For some, this may be in the form of traditional degrees, and for others short-term courses like certificate degrees or certifications. Most American corporates recognize the importance of upskilling, and many provide tuition assistance (TA) covering graduate or undergraduate programs. However, the need of the hour is to expand the TA policies to be holistic and cover graduate certificates.

Let’s focus on Graduate Certificates and why organizations should cover them under their tuition assistance policies.

What is a Graduate Certificate?

A graduate certificate is a short-term academic program that helps develop skills and knowledge in a specific field. They are short-term learning solutions with a rigorous, focused curriculum that covers the most significant parts of the designated topic. Graduate certificates are especially useful for individuals who have completed their bachelor’s degree and are looking to further specialize or advance in a chosen field or even build a foundation for their master’s degree.

Top Advantages of a Graduate Certificate:

1. Improved Skills: Grad certs enables learners to develop deeper knowledge and specialized skills in a specific area. By covering these programs under the tuition assistance policy, organizations can help their employees acquire new skills that will translate back to jobs quicker. These improved skills can lead to enhanced productivity, performance, and the ability to navigate challenging tasks.
2. Retention of Top Talent: There is a chance that your top performers already have degrees and feel like the organization is not doing enough for their career and skill development. Including graduate certification programs in the tuition assistance policy shows commitment to their long-term success and career advancement. This often translates to higher employee loyalty and retention because employees are more likely to stay with an employer who invests in their growth.
3. Attracting High-Potential Candidates: Potential employees these days look for employers who provide opportunities for continuous learning for professional advancement. By making your tuition assistance policy more holistic your organization directly conveys that you are invested in their development and growth. This is found to be a differentiating factor while filling those critical positions.
4. Staying Updated with Contemporary Industry Knowledge: With the constantly evolving landscape of work, there is a dire need for organizations to remain updated with the latest trends and developments. Grad certs help your employees stay updated with the ongoing trends, knowledge, and recent best practices. This ensures competitiveness both at the employee and organizational levels.
5. Enhanced Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Education benefits offer a unique advantage when it comes to employee engagement and job satisfaction. There’s hardly anything else that has as much impact as investing in their career growth and development. Supporting employees and motivating them to pursue their educational goals makes them more engaged and motivated at work. This can lead to increased productivity, higher job satisfaction, and a positive work environment.

Edcor, in partnership with Pearson Accelerated Pathways, brings you credit-earning and stackable Graduate certificates as part of a path toward earning an advanced degree. These programs offer a chance to acquire specialized knowledge and work on improving the skills needed for a career in a specific field. The career-focused Graduate Certs are offered in multiple tracks to be relevant. All courses are instructor-led, 8-week long, and 100% online ensuring that they fit into the busy lives of all working professionals looking to propel their careers.

How it Works

• Stackable credentials prepare learners for Graduate Degrees for a fraction of the cost
• Learners work with an advisor to determine the right Certificate for them
• Learner submits official transcripts to confirm a bachelor’s degree has been completed
• No entrance exams
• There are 4 courses in each certificate – 12 certificate options currently
• Each course is 8 weeks long and monthly start dates are available
• Learners must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for each course to earn the certificate to be awarded by the Institutional Partner
• Learners submit application requests via the Edcor site per usual to take courses

Graduate Certificate Programs

• Leadership
• Human Resource Management
• Marketing
• Criminal Justice Leadership
• Emergency Management Leadership
• Fire/Rescue Executive Leadership
• Healthcare Management
• Instructional Design & Technology
• Project Management
• Public Administration Leadership
• Social-Emotional Learning
• Sport Management

Edcor will do all the heavy lifting after you express interest to make this available to your employees. Edcor can limit any that do not meet current Client policy.

In sum, covering graduate certification programs under the tuition assistance policy is a win-win for both the organizations and employees. These Grad certs enable employees to gain specialized knowledge and skills, which directly contribute to organizational success. Feel free to reach out to Edcor if you would like to learn more about our partners, services, and solutions.