Noelle Kendrick-Bonds, Ed.D

Upskilling Higher Education

The essential playbook for continuing education leaders that are ready to build innovative, market-driven programs that meet the needs of professionals and the industry. Packed with candid insights and actionable solutions and frameworks, this book reveals what higher ed must do differently to thrive in today’s fast-changing workforce landscape.
 
If you are a continuing education leader or team member facing uncertainty about what to build and why, struggling to engage industry partners, or dealing with programs that aren’t scaling as planned, this book is for you. Drawing from the perspectives of business development, product development, organizational learning, and higher education, it addresses the cultural barriers and practices that often hinder innovation in workforce education. With practical strategies and a comprehensive framework, it equips you to design, grow, and sustain products that truly meet market demand.
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Why Continuing Education Leaders Need This Book

Are you struggling with low enrollments, misaligned products, or unclear ROI in your upskilling offerings?

This book delivers practical solutions, evidence-based strategies, and actionable insights to help you:

  • Break Free from Outdated Models: Learn why repackaging traditional college courses as certificates fails—and how to build products that actually sell.
  • Align with Industry Needs: Discover how to partner with industry associations, leverage real workforce data, and design programs that employers and professionals truly value.
  • Master Product Development: Get step-by-step guidance on differentiating between professional development and professional advancement, so you can create offerings that fit real-world demand and budgets.
  • Price for Success: Move beyond tuition-based pricing. Learn how to analyze market competition, employer spending, and student ROI to set prices that drive both accessibility and revenue.
  • Avoid Costly Pitfalls: Understand the dangers of relying on OPMs, selling third-party boot camps, or operating in institutional silos—so you can retain control, data, and brand reputation.
  • Embrace Micro-Products: See why short, affordable, industry-aligned micro-credentials outperform long, expensive certificates—and how to build a portfolio that appeals to both B2B and B2C markets.
  • Leverage Data for Growth: Transform your institution into a true learning organization by systematically collecting and acting on student, employer, and market feedback.
  • Innovate with Technology: Explore modern tech solutions for noncredit programs, including integrated LMS/CRM platforms, digital badging, and flexible payment models.
  • Increase Accessibility and Impact: Learn how to design programs that are affordable, accessible, and relevant for today’s workforce— expanding your reach and institutional value.

What You Will Gain

  • Clarity on Market Misalignment: Identify why many university certificates and micro-credentials fail to sell—and how you can avoid the same fate.
  • A Framework for Action: Concrete steps to develop, price, and market upskilling products that meet the needs of employers, industry standards, and modern learners.
  • Best Practices from the Field: Real-world examples, survey templates, and partnership models to streamline your program development and assessment.
  • Sustainable Revenue Strategies: Insights on building scalable portfolios, leveraging employer partnerships, and tapping into external funding sources.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Deans, Directors, and Managers of Professional, Continuing, and Workforce Education
  • Program developers and product managers responsible for non-credit offerings
  • Institutional leaders seeking to grow enrollment, revenue, and impact in upskilling education
  • Faculty and administrators interested in bridging the gap between academia and industry

The Future of Workforce Education

Empower your institution to lead—not follow—in the future of workforce education.
Purchase this book today and gain the tools, knowledge, and confidence to build upskilling programs that truly work—for your learners, your partners, and your university’s future.
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