Curated Degree Programs for Professionals are On the Rise

Our current era is one of shifting priorities when it comes to job seekers and job providers. The classic model of employee benefits being about dental insurance and a pension plan have shifted as job seekers begin to emphasize workplace culture and opportunities for growth. It comes as no surprise then that education benefits have become more appealing to new, talented workers. 

The Benefit of Benefits

As an employee, employer-sponsored degree programs are a clear boon. They present an opportunity to cultivate transferrable skills and make developmental strides in their career path. It’s no wonder that in a world where tuition costs are soaring, potential students are looking for new ways to help reduce the cost of achieving higher education and find the right educational path. Tuition assistance programs allow for employees to both take comfort in their job security and career future.

For the organization offering a degree program as a benefit, the upside is tremendous. When surveyed by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, over half of respondents said they offered degree program assistance to improve retention. Keeping talent under your roof keeps productivity high and products and services consistent. Losing talent can create a major drag on company resources. Professional degree programs will also keep employees well-trained and competitive in emerging technologies that can change dramatically year-to-year.

Curated Degree Programs

While offering a carte blanche to employees to study what they please is an effective tool to attract talent to the workplace, it may not serve overarching organizational goals. Curated degree programs allow for common ground between an employee’s desire to develop and a company’s needs to fill future positions or new operational needs. 

This involves HR working with employees to evaluate their desired path for growth and then going back to management to see how they can work with an organization’s oncoming needs. The reverse can work as well when designing degree programs: HR and management can determine gaps in their workforce and put forth custom degree tracks, helping attract talent to sign up.

Threading the Needle

Assembling curated degree programs for employees to participate in is hard work. It involves cross-coordination between HR, management, and the many employees at the organization. It also involves heaps of research about institutional partners that may or may not have specific tracks that match an employers’ operational needs. To properly curate a degree program for employees, there needs to be substantial knowledge of the hundreds of colleges and universities out there, the programs they offer, and how to navigate their administration to pick and choose the coursework that will provide your employees with the right skills.

Fortunately, there are industry professionals who are well-versed on both the academic and business side of these challenges. With ClearDegree, our team of industry experts will make the process of curating a degree program painless and effective. Partner with ClearDegree and see employees learning new and valuable skills that are applicable to mission-critical objectives and see the ROI by cultivating an enhanced workforce with your own talent.