Photo: Oliver Parini

Professional training programs have exploded in recent years. By one count, there are now more than 500,000 of them, ranging from dental assistant certification programs at for-profit colleges to Microsoft certifications in cloud computing. 

Little is known about how many students who enroll in these short-term programs manage to complete them, pass their exams and—most importantly—land better-paying jobs. Now, two groups are trying to shed some light on this opaque and unregulated area.

At age 37, Raymond Owen has gone from teaching classes to being a student at Blue Ridge Community College.

His career change comes courtesy of Virginia's 'Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead' program, an effort that is lifting the burden for students trying to get an education while also juggling a work schedule to pay for it.
 

The number of Hispanic-serving institutions has grown significantly in the past decade. But some researchers are raising concerns that the federal money earmarked for HSIs isn’t necessarily doing what it’s supposed to do: directly support Latino/a students. 

Stephanie Aguilar-Smith, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of North Texas, says colleges pursue that money for plenty of other reasons.