September was a month focused on higher education and the shift in for-profit to non-profit realignment, the need for flexibility and to be directly aligned with employer-defined skills.
Academic institutions must recognize a gap in the development of students’ critical thinking. To combat this, educators can take on the role of coach or mentor who can assist students in understanding how to successfully evaluate and process information.
There are also critical shifts happening within the healthcare sector. Teleheath and the use of technology is finding its way in as a valuable tool in many areas. Read more below on September’s most relevant healthcare news impacting our partners as well as the professions we serve.
Telehealth: A Vital Shift in Healthcare
For the past 20 years we have been witnessing a revolutionary shift in the role technology plays in healthcare. Today in the 21st century, research from The Advisory Board has shown that 77 percent of people would consider seeing a healthcare provider virtually – and 19 percent already have.
Read the full story from Benefits Pro >
Education Department Confirms Initial Approval of Kaplan, EDMC Deals
The U.S. Department of Education confirmed Wednesday that it has granted initial approval to acquisitions of Kaplan University and Education Management Corp., two large for-profits. The proposed transactions -- by Purdue University to acquire Kaplan and create a new online university -- and by the Dream Center, a nonprofit missionary group, to buy EDMC and its for-profit campus chains, both have drawn controversy.
Read the full story from Inside Higher Ed >
Colleges Play Important Role in Creating Alternative Credentialing Pathways
A new report commissioned by The Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences examines the landscape of non-degree postsecondary training. The report focused on five categories: certificate programs, work-based training, skills-based short programs, massive open online courses and other online microcredentials, and competency-based education programs, and provides in-depth analyses of each. While these types of trainings vary widely across sectors and states, the authors found that they all tended to be shorter, more flexible, and more directly aligned with employer-defined skills than traditional postsecondary degree programs.
Read the full story on CareerTech.org >
Why Higher Ed Needs to Bridge the Critical Thinking Skills Gap
Critical thinking is a tremendously important skill. But, it turns out, teaching this skill is no easy task.
The most recent results of the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+) test—a standardized testing initiative designed to measure college students’ critical thinking skills—are not encouraging. Relatively few students who took the test showed any improvement between freshman and senior years, even at schools where critical thinking was part of the curriculum.
Read the full story on EdSurge.com >
Launch a Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program
In 2015, Mercy Health developed and launched a U.S. Department of Labor–registered MA apprenticeship program with three community college partners from the region. Since Mercy Health is recruiting often under-served individuals in the community, it is building a workforce that reflects the entire community, which results in stronger community relationships and often better community health. Above serving the community and its workers, this development strategy delivers a strong return on investment.
Read the full story from NationalFund.org >
Connecitng Credentials and Credential Engine Pave the Way – Hand In Hand
NHA is proud to be a co-sponsoring organization of Connecting Credentials, a cross-sector network of educators, learners, employers, funders, community leaders, workforce development groups, and public policymakers committed to making the credentialing system easier to understand, use, and connect. To date, more than 118 organizations are taking part to create a 21st century credentialing system in the US.
Learn more about Connecting Credentials here >
Shortage of Pharmacy Technicians
What if you couldn’t find someone to issue your prescription? The demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow by 9% over the next decade, requiring no less than 34,700 new professionals during this time, according to BLS.
Read the full story from Career.org >
Healthcare hiring cut in half from July to August
Healthcare hiring slowed significantly in August compared to the white-hot average gain of 37,950 jobs added to the industry during the previous two months. Cause for concern or just usual trending?
Read the full story on modernhealthcare.com >