Upskilling Emerging Leaders
By Andrea Burns
Last year alone, there were 1.45 million unique job postings in the U.S. looking for candidates with leadership skills for positions that did not require a traditional post-secondary degree, according to Lightcast data.
These positions offer an opportunity for employees to advance into leadership roles. Many potential candidates do not have a bachelor’s degree or prior leadership experience and need to learn introductory leadership skills and business acumen to transition into a management role.
Fortunately, more and more universities and corporations are offering alternatives to four-year degrees to help those who are looking to advance professionally and financially. Certificate programs offer a curriculum that is laser-focused on the jobs students are seeking, and the right certificates can build into a bachelor’s degree, should a student want to further their learning.
The challenge with certificates is knowing which ones are credible and will truly leave a student with the skills needed to rise to the role they are seeking. When selecting a certificate program, students should:
- Investigate the granting institution and its reputation,
- Weigh tangible financial and intangible personal or professional benefits against a certificate’s cost,
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of certificate courses and assessments, and
- Clearly understand the jobs or careers the certificate is geared toward.
At WGU, certificates have been created to develop a specific set of skills for specific job roles. With a certificate program at WGU, students can begin any time they choose. WGU Certificates are competency-based and self-paced, so students complete work when it fits their schedules and move as quickly through the coursework as they are able to master the material.
WGU is known for the high return on investment of its degree programs. The Leadership Certificate in the WGU School of Business is no exception. The skillsets offered in this certificate are particularly valuable for emerging leaders who want to develop an understanding of their leadership strategy and foster their ability to effectively lead others.
This Leadership Certificate exposes working learners to foundational leadership principles such as:
- A comprehensive introduction to business fundamentals
- Key concepts of organizational behavior
- Execution in values-based leadership
- Application of management strategies
- Critical business concepts and theories
This certificate also offers a skills-based curriculum aligned with employer demand. Upon completion, a student is primed for a leadership career and are guaranteed admission into a WGU School of Business degree program.
The Leadership Certificate program does not require a bachelor’s degree, and provides transferable credit towards a WGU degree program, should a student want to continue their education into a bachelor’s degree.
Andrea Burns is associate dean and director of Innovation for the School of Business at Western Governors University.
