Beginning this fall, Vermonters will have four additional pathways to high-demand careers through new certificate programs at the Community College of Vermont (CCV).
The new certificate offerings are cloud computing, community health, entrepreneurship, and human resource management.
CCV certificates are designed to prepare students for the workplace or further education, and most can be completed in just one year.
“Enrolling in a certificate program can be a great way to earn a credential and advance or get started on a career,” CCV Academic Dean Deborah Stewart said in a news release. “Most courses are focused in order to build skill and prepare students for the particular work they'll be performing.”
Also, Stewart said CCV's certificate programs are “stackable,” which means that students can take the courses they complete in the certificate and apply them to a relevant associate degree program.
Many certificates also include valuable industry-recognized credentials.
• The cloud computing certificate was developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Academy, and includes a Foundations of Cloud Computing course, which prepares students for the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification.
Cloud computing students are also eligible for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification.
• The community health certificate prepares students for frontline positions in public health.
Jennifer Woolard, chronic disease program specialist at the Vermont Department of Health, noted that COVID-19 has exposed the critical role of this workforce in addressing health disparities and inequities.
“We're optimistic about an expanded role for the community health worker work force in the Vermont landscape as we move through and past the pandemic,” she said.
• The human resource management and entrepreneurship certificates include stackable digital badges that fit within CCV's business and professional studies degree programs.