Post U. launches new school for continuing education

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Post University

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By Natalie Missakian

As more employees re-think their careers and industry looks for new ways to fill gaps in the workforce after the pandemic, microcredentials — short, highly specialized certifications of specific skills — are growing in popularity.

Waterbury’s Post University is responding to the trend with the launch of a new School of Continuing Education.

The school aims to help working professionals “learn new skills, fulfill continuing education requirements and advance in their careers,” the university said in an announcement.

The university said it is currently working to identify, create and offer a catalog of courses “that reflect industry trends on professional development.” The short online courses will be self-paced and faculty-led and will not require prerequisites.

“As our country and economy recover from the pandemic, current professionals will be looking to advance their careers through continuing education micro-credentials that reflect industry trends in professional upskilling,” Post University Provost Elizabeth Johnson said in a statement.

Post has appointed Dawn Sherman to serve as dean of the new school. Sherman previously worked with several companies to create International Student Pathways Programs at Auburn University, DePaul University and the University of Hartford, the announcement said.

The university plans to launch its first continuing education program later this summer focusing on recertification for Connecticut police officers, according to a blog on the university’s webpage.

It expects to launch a larger list of soft-skill courses and micro-credentials by the end of this year, but a spokeswoman said she was unable to provide examples at this time.

The new school is the latest addition to the offerings at Post, which in March acquired the fully online American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences.

Other schools at Post include the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business, John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education and the School of Arts & Sciences.

Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com