Vicki Daugherty says she has nothing against phlebotomists — she once worked as one herself. But even then, the Centennial resident knew she wanted something more than drawing blood.
“Being a nurse didn’t appeal to me, either,” she said. “I’m an analytical person. Instead of taking care of the patient, I wanted to be working towards getting the results to treat what was wrong.”
Today, Daugherty is the director for the Centura Laboratory Service at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver. To help get from Point A to Point B, the former student at Arapahoe Community College increased her professional standing — one course at a time.
Once dismissed in education circles as a gimmick, short-term certificates have now become an established path across the country for students and working professionals trying to either get their foot in the door or improve their career prospects.
And, with the cost of attending four-year schools skyrocketing, the programs often provide an alternative for those looking to get into the workforce while earning more money than someone with just a high school diploma.
In Colorado, the courses, which can last anywhere from a number of weeks to a year, may be taking on added importance. The state’s Community College System is working with the Department of Economic Development to develop curriculums in a number of fields, like the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries, where the demand for jobs is expected to increase in the near future.
“It’s not a case of creating courses just to create courses; that would be just criminal,” said Geri Anderson, vice president and provost of the Colorado Community College System. “This is tied with the workforce needs, and we’re creating pathways for people to get jobs in Colorado industries.”
Anderson said the hope is to offer 50 to 60 different certificate courses, with the classes focused on regional needs, within the next five years. She said there could be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 students taking the classes.
The certificates are known euphemistically as “stackables,” because as they go along, students can add one on top of another in a particular field. At CCCS, for example, students can take a one-year course and get a certificate in licensed practical nursing. That would enable them to get a job in the health care industry, say at a long-term-care facility.
But if they wanted, they could continue with a five-week course that would lead to a nurse’s assistant certificate, which would likely carry an increase in responsibility and pay. Eventually, after completing two years of work, the student could receive an associate’s degree in nursing.
At CCCS in 2011, there were 1,335 students who entered that program, with 540 going the full two years. But officials say the important thing is people choosing to continue their educations.
“It’s a great way for them to get updated, current information and then take it back into their workplace,” said Ian Macgillivray, the deputy director for academic affairs for the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
Nationally, almost 250,000 certificates for courses of one year or less were awarded between 2001 and 2011, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.
But to Macgillivray’s point, four-year schools are also getting in on the act by also offering certificate courses, albeit not for college credit. The University of Colorado offers a six-week sustainability training seminar online, while Colorado State University has classes in areas including information technology and management development. At CSU, students can receive certificates in those areas after attending four all-day classes.
That wasn’t the case for Daugherty, who spent two years improving her skills — while also helping to raise three children.
“It was a challenge and a big balancing act. The laundry doesn’t stop and dinner still needs to be made,” she said. “But with each step, you get more and more exposed to the profession and you see where you can go. I think it’s just a phenomenal program, and I truly believe I wouldn’t be here without it.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292, acotton@denverpost.com or
