MarketWatch: Skilled workers shouldn't miss out on good-paying jobs simply because they don't have a bachelor's degree

UMass Global Regent Donald C. Kilburn sent out word to U.S. employers that hiring job applicants who have earned academic certificates is a solid way to ensure open positions are filled by people possessing relevant skills. Kilburn’s views appeared in a MarketWatch op-ed published on Thursday, Jan. 19.

“Increasingly, short-term certificate programs are part of both traditional and non-traditional institutions of higher education,” Kilburn writes. “In many ways, higher education is responding to skills gaps in the labor market. When someone attains a credential that translates to a job opportunity, they should have a seamless path to getting hired. Job sites including Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster could support both job-seekers and employers by noting workforce-relevant certificates among the list of preferred qualifications, rather than eliminating potential candidates by keeping a bachelor’s degree the minimum qualification.”

UMass Global offers several undergraduate-level certificates through the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business and Professional Studies. Data-minded students may select the GIS and Data Analytics, GIS Use in Nonprofit Organizations or Spatial Social Sciences certificate options. Students may also enroll in the Nutrition and Wellness or Paralegal undergraduate certificate programs, and the university also offers several graduate-level certificates for students who want to gain new skills.

Read the full op-ed in MarketWatch.