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Employer Quotes

The quotes below are from employers in this industry: Information Technology (IT)

They are talking about this topic: Educational Partnerships

 

The quotes below are about this issue:
A few respondents express concern about the inability to transfer credits between institutions.

Employer Quote Region
"I just want to reiterate that I think that you can put all of these components and all of these insights into a particular course at [MnSCU college]. And if I can take the class at [MnSCU college], then that's great. But if my job dictates that I have to work nights or that I have to work through the day or I get transferred to [another MnSCU college], that course that I took here—with those insights—has to transfer to that other MnSCU college. And if I then decide that I have to go to some other place to take courses, then that has to translate, too. I mean, the credits have to transfer. It has to work so that I don't lose all of those credits and all of that time." Central
"Yes, we're using the vendors more and more. If incumbent workers want to take something in IP switching or in a particular networking subset, there might be something that River Falls offers or maybe one of junior colleges might offer that. And maybe they can go close by, but it would be great if—when they take those classes in different locations and with different colleges—that those credits would transfer. Because it's a MnSCU college." Central
"Employer 1: I think the universities and the colleges have to be more collaborative with each other. Not every location will be able to develop a course that meets all of our needs. But if a student can take classes at different places, and those credits can seamlessly apply to their home institution, then that'd be helpful. No longer should there be any kind of barriers or walls. And there still are. It's very frustrating to some of our folks, to current employees, that want to take courses that are not offered at the institution. It's, 'Well, I'll take some courses at this place and then some courses at that place.' So, they have to find an institution that will take all of their credits and put them together.

Question: So, when you have a system and schools working together, it's give them a certain degree of choice that they probably don't currently have?

Employer 1: Yes. It's frustrating especially to the person that's been in the workforce for a while and they want to refine their skills, and they have to learn an entirely new bureaucracy. They get frustrated.

Employer 2: Stop competing against each other. And stop competing against other colleges within that university system. There's way too much competition today. And it's within colleges, too. It's not just across colleges."
Metro
"For the incumbent worker—we're kind of scattered around the state in small offices—so they need access to advanced network training, broadband mobility, whatever the case might be. It's very difficult for them to get that training. We can't just let them go for two years if they go to some technical college. We can't let them go for one semester. But they need access. Maybe they had some training at one college and now they want a certificate or something from another college. I've said this before: We want MNSCU organizations to work better together. There are some things you don't control, but how well credits transfer back and forth between institutions, MNSCU controls that. So, it's time to get that in order." Metro