Short-term certificates can only take a few weeks to get but don’t always lead to better earnings or higher degrees.
Angela Ramirez poses for a portrait in Austin on Nov. 13. Ramirez’s path toward becoming a nurse started when she took an eight-week class to earn a nursing aide credential. Texas colleges and policymakers have pitched short-term certificates as a way for students to build toward better wages and higher degrees. For some students like Ramirez, the journey has been longer and more arduous than expected.
“I have friends around me who just graduated this year. It was as great as it was to go to their graduations. It also was a little painful to kind of see, that could have been me,” she said. “I feel like I'm behind. … I feel like a freshman again.” “I really enjoyed helping those people and just kind of like being involved in their lives and getting to know them,” she said.
Schools also recognized that a two or four-year degree might not be for everyone. Some people are pressed to enter the workforce right out of high school to start earning an income and support their families. Plus, college can be expensive and many students are hesitant to take out loans to cover the cost.
“There are no classes, really, from those or phlebotomy programs that transfer into a program,” Daugherty said. “We just need to be transparent with the individuals who are going in: If you're entering a CNA program, you're entering a medical assistant route. This is the end of it.” By enrolling at ACC to pursue her nursing degree, Ramirez is already bucking the trend. She said not all of her colleagues at the nursing home have been able to do the same.
“It allows more people access to education,” she said. “For a long time, students think of it as, ‘I just need a class to get a job.’ They don't see themselves as students.” “Students are starting to realize that this is not just a one-and-done class, but they step towards further career opportunities,” she said.
“It's a little testing the waters career-wise, but it's also a little bit of testing the waters educationally,” she said.
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