You've been eyeing a promotion for months but know that the competition is tough and are looking for a way to stand out. Or maybe you’re interested in a lateral move in your company into a different role with new challenges (and new required skills). You’re confident that continued education can help you make these changes, but you also don’t feel like you have time for a two-to-four-year degree commitment.

If this sounds familiar, you may benefit from stackable skills training. This type of continued education may include certificate programs that demonstrate competency, teach new skills, and can look exceptional on a resume.

Brendan Nelson is the Senior Manager of Academic Coaching at EdAssist™. He’s spent the last 10 years helping adult learners navigate situations like these. He's seen firsthand how stackable credentials can help adult learners progress in their careers, and in this post, he’ll share his best advice when it comes to knowing if stackable courses, certificates, and certifications are right for you.

What counts as stackable skills training

Stackable courses and skills-based training may include the following:

• Certificate programs that you can use on your resume, but that don’t allow you to earn academic credit.
• Certificate programs that do allow you to earn academic credit, which could potentially be used later towards a relevant, eligible degree.
• Professional certifications, which may require work experience and demonstrate competency.
• Individual courses that can help you learn new skills.

In many cases, these programs typically only require between three and five courses and can be completed relatively quickly.

If you plan to use employer-sponsored education assistance benefits, it’s important to check your employer’s specific policy. According to Brendan, around 95% of employers partnering with EdAssist have criteria requiring that credentials must be offered by a college to be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Similarly, around 60% of employers partnering with EdAssist will cover specific professional certifications.

Policy experts or coaches can help you confirm which courses, if any, your plan covers.

How stackable skills training can help you advance in your career 

Stackable training can be a great choice for adult learners who want to demonstrate competency or learn new skills without spending the time or money required to complete a formal degree program.

Let’s say you already have a bachelor’s degree and want to move into a management position. An MBA isn’t required, but you know that you’re up against tough competition. You are able to complete a management graduate certificate in a year, which can help set you apart without needing to spend several years completing an MBA degree.

Another good example is if you want to learn new skills. Maybe you already have an MBA in general business administration, for example, but you want to learn more about financial technology. You could complete a short program to learn these skills, and then take on new roles at work.

When you’re considering certifications, some employers may prefer or require that applicants hold certain credentials. Certain employers may only hire or promote project managers with an official Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, for example.

Similarly, becoming a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) can advance a financial career by demonstrating competency to employers and clients alike.

Key benefits of stackable skills training

Adult learners are often drawn to stackable skills training thanks to a few key benefits:

• Good resume-builder. Additional credentials and continued education can show that you’re invested in ongoing development alongside demonstrating competency. Certifications and certificate programs, as a result, can be powerful resume-builders.
• More cost-effective. Certificate programs require much less coursework, which means they cost much less than formal degree programs. Even if you have education assistance benefits, this could mean you can complete an entire program quickly without spending much (or anything!) out-of-pocket.
• Requires less time. With less coursework required, you can complete stackable coursework much faster than formal degrees. This is an enormous advantage for adult learners who have busy schedules, or those who want to start taking advantage of promotions or pay raises that may come with the new credential instead of waiting several years.
• Increased relevance.  You could take even a single course to learn a new skill or refresh your knowledge. If you’re working in a data science role, for example, a certificate every few years could help you stay up-to-date.

When stackable skills training might be right for you

Stackable training may not be right for everyone, but it may be a good option for you if you meet any of the following criteria.

You’re nervous about starting school

Imposter syndrome hits us all hard, but it’s common amongst adult learners who have been out of school for a while. If you want to pursue continued education but feel nervous or overwhelmed by the thought of several years of advanced courses, a certificate program may be a good option.

There are substantially fewer courses required for completion, making it less intimidating than a full degree. You can dip your toes in the water to see how continued education fits into your schedule now.

If you’re considering obtaining a full degree but want to start with a certificate program, you can talk to our academic coaches. Some undergraduate and graduate certificate programs allow students to earn academic credit, which may count towards eligible undergraduate or graduate degrees if you want to continue on.

You have limited funds or education assistance benefits

Individual courses, certificate programs, and certification programs typically cost much less than formal degrees. Whether you’re paying out-of-pocket entirely or trying to make the most out of your education assistance benefits, stackable courses can be more cost-effective. 

You don’t want a long-term commitment

You know you want continued education and something to add to your resume, but you don’t want to spend several years completing a full degree program? Stackable skills-based training is your best bet.

You can earn new credentials and demonstrate competency much faster with skills-based training, which you can use on your resume right away once completed.

You’re midway through your career

If you’re midway through or late into your career, you may not see as much benefit from getting a formal degree as someone who is earlier in their career— especially once you consider the total cost. Certificates, certifications, and relevant courses may provide a better ROI unless you want a full career change. 

You want exploratory knowledge

If you want to branch out in your continued education to learn new skills that may not directly be related to your job, stackable learning is a good option.

A data scientist, for example, may want to take a program to learn more about the technology their team is using. This doesn’t require a full degree program, especially if they don’t want to change their role, but a short program could provide invaluable knowledge that improves how they operate in their existing role.

Another great example is AI. More professionals want to learn how they can use AI in the workplace. With the technology evolving so quickly, short courses that can be updated regularly have an advantage. It is important to note, however, that many current AI courses are not offered by colleges and may not be covered by many employers’ education assistance benefits, so check in with your policy experts or coaches on that front. 

Choosing training and continued education programs that work for you

If you’re considering stackable training of any kind, Brendan recommends doing your homework. Make sure that your program of choice is covered by your education assistance benefits if you plan to use them.

Next, do the math to make sure that you’re looking at a positive return on investment for the time and money you plan to put in. You don’t want to earn certificates just to earn them, so make sure that the courses you’re taking will provide a clear benefit and help you accomplish your specific goals.

Brendan also recommends talking to different people in your network. Your managers, for example, will know your organization’s growth path better than anyone and can recommend specific courses or programs that your employer may value.

You can also talk to or review peers. Chat with people who are the level you want to be, and ask what education or skills have benefited them most. You can even use LinkedIn to assess different educational and career paths of people who are where you want to be.

Finally, talk to academic coaches if you have access to them. EdAssist’s academic coaches are all experts in higher education, and can help you determine which programs or courses are right for you.

Want to learn more about advancing your career with continued education? Check out our blog for more.