For countless working adults in California, the dream of career advancement, a higher salary, or even a complete career pivot often bumps up against three formidable barriers: skills, time and money.
There is a shortage of skilled workers in many fields with great jobs – but people need the right skills to be hired, and then to be successful in a new job to achieve career advancement.. Work experience is incredibly valuable, but it needs to be explained in ways that hiring managers can see is relevant, and matched with new technical skills. Often workers find the technical skills that were valuable just three to five years ago might be obsolete tomorrow. New career opportunities emerge faster than many traditional education systems can keep up.
The cost and time of education and job training simply isn’t feasible for many working adults, or people with serious responsibilities like parents or caregivers. Flexibility is critical for working adults to make career changes..
But in California there is a way to gain highly relevant, in-demand skills, earn valuable credentials, and open new doors for your career, all without costing working adults a dime or demanding you quit your current job.
It’s a free online certificate program for in-demand skills, offered by Calbright College.
Calbright is a statewide online community college created by the state of California to support people seeking stable careers and solid incomes and need access to education and job training on a flexible schedule.
Learn the Relevant Skills for The Career You Want
Traditional degree programs can sometimes take years to adapt to new industry needs. But as a non-traditional college, Calbright iterates quickly to identify new hiring trends and develop the right programs for the job market today and tomorrow. Calbright’s free online certificate programs, designed in collaboration with employers, are agile and hyper-focused on specific, high-demand industries.
Additionally, hiring for skills rather than degrees is a growing movement. Many businesses and employers recognize employees don’t need a four-year degree but rather skills to manage projects efficiently, understand cybersecurity basics, or administer a customer relationship management system. Calbright’s free and flexible certificate programs are built for immediate skills application, equipping you with the competencies that companies are actively hiring for right now.
Competency-Based Education Means Learn on Your Terms
Life doesn’t stop for school. Working-age adults juggle jobs, family responsibilities, and countless other commitments. The rigid schedules of traditional classes are simply incompatible with these realities. But Calbright’s flexibly-paced online certificate program is compatible with an adult’s life because you decide when and where you learn.
Got an hour before work? Great. A quiet evening after the kids are asleep? Perfect. Weekends are your prime study time? No problem.
This adaptability that Calbright has developed ensures that you can truly integrate learning into your life, rather than having to choose between your present responsibilities and your future goals.
Free College Means No Financial Barriers
Traditional college is often out of reach for working-age adults because of cost. Tuition, fees, textbooks – the costs add up, often leading to years, if not decades, of student loan debt.
Calbright eliminates this hurdle by providing online certificate programs at no cost to students, including offering faculty and staff support, a technology lending library, and career support services. You can invest in yourself, gain new skills, and earn an industry-valued credential without ever touching your savings or taking on debt. This makes a better education and job skills training path available to every Californian with the drive to learn, regardless of their financial background. No cost or student debt means that it’s a no risk, all reward investment.
