Seventeen-year-old Naomi Barnes juggles sports, student government, charity work, and dual enrollment college classes. She's also the only member of her family currently employed. Despite this intense workload, she refuses to let her lifelong dream of attending a historically Black college or university fade.

College application season can be stressful in a normal year. But this is not a normal year. Experts worry that the added pressures of pandemic life may make an already taxing application process that much harder.

Millions of individuals have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. They need fast and flexible training and upskilling opportunities to transition back into the workforce.

Leaders of two very different institutions—Purdue Global University and Broward College in Florida—discuss the potential of short-term, work-related credentials and certifications for underserved student groups, including students who hold down jobs while pursuing their training.