By Justin Nalley, Kayala C. Elliott, Ph.D., and Gabrielle Smith Finnie, Ph.D.
Joint Center
https://jointcenter.org/
The Joint Center’s issue brief, “Five Principles to Support Black Workers and Learners in Pathways to Non-Degree Credentials,” offers guidance on how non-degree credential programs — such as certificates, industry certifications, professional licenses, and apprenticeships — can serve as equitable pathways to economic mobility for Black workers and learners as federal investments are reshaping high-growth industries including advanced manufacturing, energy, and technology.
Interest and investment in non-degree credentials are growing due to substantial public and private investments in high-growth industries such as advanced manufacturing, technology, and energy. As historic federal investments flow into these emerging industries, stakeholders face a critical choice: replicate old patterns of racial exclusion or build new pathways toward equitable economic mobility. Non-degree credential programs, or more specifically, postsecondary education programs that lead to credentials such as certificates, industry certifications, professional licenses, or apprenticeships,1 can play an integral role in advancing economic mobility.
To identify how non-degree credentials can be effective pathways to good jobs and economic mobility for Black workers and learners, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies convened a Non-Degree Credentials Advisory Board of workforce leaders, researchers, and students. The board helped develop five principles to support Black workers and learners when creating non-degree credentials programs and pathways. This brief elevates insights from the advisory board, presents five key principles to center Black workers and learners in non-degree credential programs and pathways, and underscores how these principles can help non-degree credentials translate into sustained economic mobility for Black workers and learners.
Five Principles to Support Black Workers in Non-Degree Credentials Pathways
- Advancing Employer Investments in Training and Credentialing:
Increasing employer investment in training and credential programs can improve transparency and establish direct pathways into employment for Black workers and learners. - Addressing Learner Needs and Financial Realities:
Providing learners with holistic financial support can remove obstacles that impact Black learners’ access, persistence, and completion. - Fostering Successful Workforce Development Collaborations:
Collaborating with workforce, education, and industry stakeholders can ensure the inclusion of diverse perspectives, strengthen relationships, and streamline cohesion when implementing new workforce development initiatives. - Navigating Data Challenges and Accountability:
Advancing data infrastructure and publicly available data can help identify disparities more effectively, examine labor market trends, and aid Black learners in making informed decisions about their futures. - Implementing Race-Conscious Strategies in a Challenging Climate:
Implementing intentional, race-conscious workforce development strategies is integral to promoting the participation of Black workers and learners, increasing Black worker power, and building a diverse advanced manufacturing, technology, and energy workforce.
This brief is part of the Joint Center’s series on Centering Black Workers in Emerging Industries, which examines how Black communities can access and thrive in emerging and high-growth industries, including advanced manufacturing, technology, and energy.
