5 Ways CareerStep Helps Colleges Boost Enrollment & Support Modern Learners

Continuing Education (CE) departments are the key to reaching students with job-ready skills. But they often encounter the same hurdles: few staff members, small course offerings, lean budgets, and the perennial need to keep up with an ever-shifting workforce.

In the highly competitive learning environment of today, universities and colleges require creative solutions to enable them to expand—without putting further demands on already stretched assets. And this is where effective online education and training offerings come into play.

Challenges facing continuing education departments

Colleges and universities’ continuing education offices encounter growing obstacles and are oftentimes unable to effectively engage learners and fulfill institution-wide objectives. With restricted staff, stringent finances, and restricted means, many find they are unable to initiate and implement programs.

Thin course catalogs – particularly in fields in demand such as healthcare – can limit enrollment expansion, and the lack of online and flexible options may nudge potential students to competing providers.

Departments are also under pressure to match workforce demands, offer experiential learning, and offer payment flexibility, all of this, of course, while generating increased revenue. These pressures make competing effectively in the fast-changing education market of the twenty-first century more challenging, leaving both learners and institutions behind.

How CareerStep’s online solutions can help make a difference

While colleges and continuing education departments can face numerous challenges, there are easy-to-implement solutions available that can help make a difference! CareerStep provides  healthcare and allied health programs designed to suit today’s students. 100% online and career- and certification-focused, our programs allow your institution to expand career-relevant course offerings and help learners to gain skills in a flexible environment. More than anything, we strive to make program implementation simple, and due to this, your institution may quickly start adding new programs—without the expense and time of hiring on additional staff or developing new curricula.

Partnership with CareerStep can:

1. Expand limited program offerings

The problem: A small healthcare course catalog

Many CE departments may have limited offerings of career-focused healthcare courses, losing out on enrollments from learners who are interested in fast-paced, flexible – and relevant – education. This restrictiveness may force learners into going elsewhere.

Our solution: Quick and straightforward program expansion

With CareerStep, institutions can quickly expand their catalog to include a wide range of in-demand healthcare and allied health programs—complete with all learning materials, assessments, and instructor support built-in. No need to find budget for new staff, curriculum, or administrative time. This allows your team to focus on strategic growth, not day-to-day course management.

2. Increase enrollment and revenue

The problem: Lack of short-term, career-relevant courses

While many institutions can offer a broad range of degree and career programs, some are unable to provide an extensive course catalog that includes pathways toward industry relevant certification due to a number of factors.

The solution: Career-aligned, certification-focused programs that attract learners

CareerStep courses can help prepare learners for industry-standard certifications, which can be appealing to job seekers and career changers. This can help increase enrollment and addstreams of revenue for your institution.

3. Help meet the demand for flexible, online learning

The problem: A growing need for flexible, mobile courses

Online learning and flexible education options are expected to be more in-demand than ever over the next few years, with a projected 57 million learners taking advantage of online courses by 2027. Attracting adult learners who balance work, family, and life will require institutions to offer increased flexibility and self-paced education options.

The solution: 100% online programs that can be done anytime, anywhere

CareerStep offers a range of fully online programs that students can start anytime, anywhere—ensuring accessibility without requiring your institution to invest in new platforms or technology.

4. Offer programs aligned with workforce needs

The problem: Employer demand may cause learners to look for quicker ways to finish education

While a respected college degree used to be a requirement for many entry-level roles, more and more employers today are focusing more on skills-based hiring versus degree-based hiring to provide the talent they need. And, with the rising cost of college tuition, many students may find it more prudent and efficient to enroll in career-focused programs that can help provide pathways toward post-graduate employment.

The solution: Certification and career focused courses that align with employers’ needs

At CareerStep, our programs are designed with outcomes in mind, helping learners with a flexible, self-paced path toward certification. Throughout their program, they’ll focus on need-to-know skills relevant to the job they want after completion, helping them to effectively prepare for the future they want. Through partnership with CareerStep, your institution can help fill program gaps and provide the career-focused, skills-based education many modern learners are searching for.

5. Help enhance job readiness for learners

The problem: A gap in hands-on experiences and certification preparation

Most CE departments are under-staffed and under-resourced and cannot often offer comprehensive services or build career-focused programs that offer hands-on learning and in-depth certification preparation.

The solution: Externships and certification prep

CareerStep programs are built with the end goal of the learner in mind, providing both self-paced learning and assessment online and, in many programs, hands-on learning through relevant externships*. Additionally, all of our courses have built-in certification preparation, allowing students to earn the credentials employers in their field of interest may be looking for.

Why partner with CareerStep

Besides growing your course catalog and helping to increasing enrollments, CareerStep can empower colleges and universities to better serve learners – without adding to staff workloads or overtaxing the budget. Further, partnership goes beyond simple set up. Depending on the needs of the organization we’re working with, we can set up programs, supply marketing materials to help you get the word out, and walk your staff through each phase of the launch process.

To take the next step toward meeting the needs of today’s learners and find out more about partnering with us, fill out this form for more info or give us a call today at 866-470-0579!

*CareerStep does not guarantee externships. A learner’s placement in and completion of an externship is solely the learner’s responsibility and may be subject to additional requirements, such as a background check and successful completion of a CareerStep course. This is particularly important for learners seeking to complete their externship in Alabama, District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Please note that CareerStep will not sign agreements with sites in the above-referenced states or provide evidence of insurance to those sites.