What We Do (and Don't) Know About Noncredit Workforce Programs

Dr. Peter Bahr and his research team featured in New America

In this article from May 2023, Dr. Peter Bahr’s work on a research team is highlighted, as the team investigated what data is available on noncredit programs at the state level. Through the State Noncredit Data Project, the researchers studied the data collected on noncredit offerings in Iowa, Louisiana, and Virginia.

They defined noncredit offerings to include occupational trainings that prepare students for employment, sponsored trainings developed for a particular employer or industry, pre-college programs such as GED preparation or ESL courses, and personal interest courses driven by local demand. Noncredit offerings might lead to completion of certificates from the colleges, industry certifications, occupational licensure, apprenticeships, and microcredentials, but they do not have to.