Workforce Continuing Education
Online Non-Credit Courses Expand to Accommodate Remote Learning
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 23, 2020) – Wake Tech has released its new catalog of non-degree courses, and it includes more than 50 online courses. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wake Tech’s non-credit Workforce Continuing Education division has been transitioning most courses to an online format. By fall, the college hopes to offer more than 125 non-credit courses totally online.
Course categories include career readiness, IT, business and finance, real estate, substitute teaching, high school equivalency, hospitality, Spanish, American Sign Language and more. Others, such as nurse aide, CPR, and BLET for example, will operate in a hybrid format allowing for limited labs and in-person training following health and safety protocols.
Continuing education courses are typically offered in person because they involve hands-on learning, but COVID-19 spurred the college to quickly pivot and find ways to transition as many courses as possible to virtual delivery, said Anthony Caison, Wake Tech’s vice president of workforce and continuing education.
“We know that during this pandemic students need access to career training so they can secure or retain employment,” Caison said. “We also want to help students connect with one another in a safe environment, while maintaining continuity of instruction.”
The transition hasn’t been easy, Caison said, but he hopes it translates into more online continuing education options as the norm at Wake Tech.
“We’re seeing students make the transition,” Caison said. “Initially, it was slow and some students were hesitant, but many students who thought they weren’t ready for online instruction are now reaching out and enrolling in online courses.”
Some of the most popular non-credit courses right now are those in Human Resources Development, which help students with job hunting skills such as resume writing, interviewing techniques and networking opportunities. This summer, interest is also high in public safety, healthcare, commercial drone pilot and ESL teaching certificate courses.
