Courses in College

As a rising number of careers now prefer, and often require, the ability to speak multiple languages, more community colleges are integrating career-based language programs for students. These programs are designed to teach students the necessary skills and abilities to communicate and compete in the global workforce after graduation.

Community Colleges: Foreign Language Programs and Career Preparation

The Focus of Foreign Language Studies

Foreign language studies incorporate a variety of elements, skills, and disciplines of various modes of communication. As Yakima Valley Community College, located in Washington, supports, “all courses emphasize oral language acquisition. The primary goals are to have students speak and understand the spoken language.”

Most community colleges, such as Yakima, additionally include courses in conversational practices, as well as a diverse mix of academic classes with various focus topics. In addition to teaching students the language, Yakima also teaches students about a language’s cultural history and social background. As students embark on the cultural studies of their language, opportunities for internships, studying abroad, and other interactive programs are highly rated and recommended.

Durham Technical Community College

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Durham Technical Community College is another institution providing students with extensive foreign language courses to provide support for potential careers. Durham offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Arapahoe Community College

Arapahoe Community College, located in Littleton Colorado, is one of the many community

From careers in construction, electrical work, teaching, to even daycare employment, nearly all careers now demand that employees maintain professional certification. Furthermore, for individuals new to their particular field, even jobs that do not require a four-year degree now demand that applicants have met professional licensing standards.

Providing students and professionals with easy access to affordable opportunities, community colleges are now one of the top venues for continuing education and certifications for qualified advancement.

The Top-Paying Careers with Professional Licensure Requirements

According to DAS Human Resources, legislation was passed in 1996 that permitted the expansion of application requirements, resulting in the shift that requires many jobs to demand that all workers meet “professional licensure, degree, accreditation or certificate requirements.” While the requirements for certification and licensure may have become more stringent, data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Census Bureau, according to CNN, assert that some of the top-paying jobs in the country are careers that do not require a four-year degree.

Among the top-paying jobs are careers as an air-traffic controller, storage and distribution manager, transportation manager, and police/detective work—all of which boast of an average annual income above $60,000. The careers expand to include non-retail sales managers, real estate agents/brokers, and dental hygienists—which also average an annual income of over $58,000.

While the prospects for interested candidates in these careers are financially outstanding, CNN continues to assert: “Though a college degree is not a

With over 2.5 million adult students enrolled across the country, according to Eric Digest, nearly one-third of all community college students are over the age of thirty. The variety of options for continuing education in community colleges gives students of any age great opportunities for both technical and personal interest growth.

Adults Seeking Continuing Education Paths

For adults or people curious about special topics, community colleges and continuing education courses allow the open study of various subject matters. As Edgecombe Community College, located in North Carolina, explains, “Continuing Education promotes the lifelong learning process by offering a wide range of programs and services.” The continuing education opportunities are meant to support all adults, regardless of their educational background. Most continuing education and special interest students are individuals who are taking classes for non-traditional reasons: According to Howell, “adult students come to community colleges with a variant set of characteristics. They are more likely to attend part-time, to take courses for self-improvement initially rather than for degree completion, and to enroll intermittently.” Because most continuing education students are already employed in careers or work full time in or outside the home, colleges report that continuing education students bring practical goals and valuable life perspectives to the classroom.

This video offers a rationale for pursuing continuing education.

What Does Continuing Education Offer?

For many adults, continuing education classes are opportunities to explore hobbies

In recent years, community colleges have been experimenting with baccalaureate degree programs. With great success, many states are now encouraging community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs, as they promote the acquisition of higher education for the greater public, while also providing degree programs in an increasingly wide range of majors and subject areas.

The Growing Trend

While baccalaureate degrees were traditionally only earned through a university or four-year institution, a drastic shift began to occur in the 1990s. At this time, the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) sought to change this tradition, and devised the mission statement that they intended to: "promote the development and acceptance of the community college baccalaureate degree as a means of addressing the national problems of student access, demand, and cost.” In support, The American Association of Community Colleges has also recognized the community college baccalaureate as, “an emerging development in higher education.”

This video describes the University of Mississippi Medical Center's partnership with Mississippi's 15 community and junior colleges in a statewide effort aimed at increasing the number of health-care practitioners with baccalaureate degrees.

The reason community college baccalaureate degrees have become so popular is threefold. First, community colleges are able to respond to increased workforce needs more quickly than four-year institutions. For example, increased demand in recent years for qualified healthcare workers, such as nurses, has led to the explosive growth of bachelor

Whether you have already decided on a career path, or if you’re looking to broaden your horizons, community colleges offer a wide variety of elective courses that can expand your personal and professional networks, while also leading to a fulfilling educational experience.

The Personal Benefits of Elective Courses

While every degree program has specific requirements, electives allow students to test the waters outside their main area of focus. By exploring elective options, you may gain a new perspective on your professional calling. Regardless of whether or not your electives lead you to a new career, or simply add to your community college experience, electives allow potential job-seeking candidates when applying for work. In fact, employers seek candidates who have well-rounded backgrounds. Showing a diverse academic background, along with your career focus, demonstrates that you are versatile and enjoy learning.

The Academic Benefits of Elective Courses

While electives often provide students with new opportunities and fulfilling educational experience, studies are also revealing that electives actually promote better thinking and learning. For example, in considering art electives, “more and more business leaders are realizing that arts education helps to prepare young people for the workplace, acknowledging that arts education develops collaborative skills, technological competencies, flexible thinking, and an appreciation for diversity,” according to Bernard Cesarone. Studies show that the study and practice of art allow students to foster better critical thinking skills, while building values that connect to fellow colleagues and peers, leading to a better-rounded employee or student.