While the 2020 pandemic has forced the doors of educational institutions to close temporarily, many career colleges and schools continue to honor their mission by staying in touch with students, offering online courses, and investigating every opportunity to help students.
Using all communication tools available including their school information system, schools have actively maintained contact with students to keep them focused on their career goals. In many cases, campus software has enabled online courses to provide at least some continuous learning experiences for students.
During this world health crisis, we’ve heard the word “essential” as it relates to goods and services. Everyone has been struggling with uncertainty as we try to adapt to “a new normal.” These terms bring to mind the strength and resiliency of career colleges and schools. Let’s consider each of them.
Everyone who works in these institutions should read these next few words several times – YOU ARE ESSENTIAL. You offer career-oriented programs with one goal – preparing adults for employment opportunities. Normally, this preparation consists of a variety of course offerings including traditional classroom instruction, hands-on practice, perhaps some online courses, and externship experiences. During the pandemic, more online courses had to replace brick and mortar classes. While the online alternative has closed some of the learning gaps, many students are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to return to the classroom. Others want to start or finish their externships to get the hands-on experience that is critical to their skills training.
Yes, YOU ARE ESSENTIAL to your students, and YOU ARE ESSENTIAL to employers! Postsecondary career colleges and schools have been the closest educational link to the employment world since they began in the 1800s. It’s a simple formula. Employers need people with workplace skills, and many of them depend on you for their workers. The country depends on you for a skilled workforce. Because we anticipate more business activity and more jobs returning to and growing in our amazing United States, YOU ARE ESSENTIAL!
Everyone prefers security over uncertainty, but workplace needs change as industries evolve. Businesses modify practices and technology impacts the way we work. We’re constantly learning to embrace change in our work and home environments. Consider how thrilled we are as our cell phones become more and more capable and our homes become smarter! Career colleges and schools have quick capability to change to the needs of the workplace. It’s a strong characteristic of these schools that other educational institutions can envy, and it’s a basic but critical agility. These schools are driven by what employers need!
Finally, consider “the new normal.” This pandemic requires us to reexamine our methods, to modify our strategies, to investigate unique procedures, and to implement different operating practices. Career colleges and schools are tackling these challenges. They are not drenched and entrenched in levels and layers of what might be considered old standards. They have always been prepared to respond to changes in the workplace, especially as they relate to the preparation of workers. This is the backbone of their existence.
Stand strong career colleges and schools!
You prepare our citizens for employment in an ever-growing number of career fields and you do it well! You concentrate on career-related courses, and no other segment of higher education does it with greater focus, in reasonable time frames, at lower costs, or in more caring learning environments. In addition to developing job skills, your essential services result in students who exhibit pride and dignity. People who have been displaced or are searching for fulfilling work are looking to you! People who want to provide for their families and people just beginning their adult lives are looking to you! There is no segment of higher education that understands and fulfills its mission better. There is no segment of higher education that cares more about its students and their futures. There is no segment of higher education that focuses on employers and their needs more than career colleges and schools.
Your students need you! Employers need you! The USA needs you!
Written by Dr. Rita Girondi
Dr. Rita Girondi has held various positions in public and private education for over 47 years. She is the President of Training Masters, Inc., a company that develops and licenses campus management software. “STARS” is a student information system fully developed and supported in the USA.
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