UMass Online launched 34 fully online degree and certificate programs since the beginning of FY20, the latest in the university’s continued commitment to world-class online educational offerings. The new programs include a mix of undergraduate and graduate certificates, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and a doctorate within STEM, health care, business and criminal justice. The launch of these new programs comes on the heels of a major partnership announcement between UMass Online and Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest private employer, through which UMass Online will develop degree completion programs specifically for MGB employees.
HR Technology News: With School Re-openings Uncertain, Google Spotlights Lumin PDF for Remote Classrooms
“With unemployment at a record high, the University of Massachusetts is responding by creating access to programs that will contribute to a robust economic recovery,” UMass System Chancellor of Academic Programs Katherine Newman said. “Adding fully online degree and certificate programs in areas with projected employment growth will help professionals navigate careers in a shifting workforce.”
“Our responsibility to the Commonwealth, higher education and adult learners is to provide pathways to completion that provide learners with confidence and security,” said UMass Online CEO Don Kilburn. “As employers focus on filling skills gaps across the country unemployed and working professionals are seeking pathways to secure employment and career advancement.”
HR Technology News: Smartsheet Brings Together Government Industry Experts to Form Federal Advisory Board
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner’s Statement on the Employment Situation, the unemployment rate was 11.1 percent nationally as of July 2, 2020.
The BLS data also highlights a stark disparity in employment resiliency between college-educated and non-college-educated workers that was present before the COVID-19 pandemic which has since been exacerbated. In June of 2020, 16.6 percent of those without a high school diploma were unemployed, along with 12.1 percent of those with a high school diploma. Meanwhile, 6.9 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher were unemployed.
HR Technology News: TecHRseries Interview with Deborah Kearney, Global Senior Director of Human Resources at Cygilant