Workforce Development

In September 2021, Amazon announced that it would pay full college tuition for its 750,000 front-line employees. The benefit not only included tuition but also the cost of books and fees. The new benefits were an expansion of the company’s Career Choice program which 50,000 employees had participated in over the past 10 years. Amazon estimates spending approximately $1.2 billion over the next five years to support this program.

I was an early subscriber to LinkedIn. The service allowed me to list my professional qualifications and experiences and connect with people I knew and people with similar experiences and interests. I’ve watched it evolve over the years as its subscriber base grew to include just about everyone.

Among the many recent trends I observed on LinkedIn are the touting of badges and credentials by anyone who has received them.

Last week, Rio Salado College and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce announced the release of survey results designed to identify micro-credential educational program options that could benefit businesses in the Tempe area that have been impacted by the Covid pandemic.

On the positive side, most businesses completing the survey indicated an interest in micro credential options.