Business of Well-being

Is Certification the New University?

A career in corporate health and wellness is fast becoming attractive and vital in corporate health. Currently, students taking up courses in health and wellbeing have found that such certificates earn them as much money, respect, and promotion as those who have a University degree in a related course. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the fields of wellness and well-being are expected to grow faster than the average for other occupations!


This means that getting educated on the latest trends in the industry is essential to being a major player in an emerging industry in need of professionals who want to help others improve their health and well-being. With health and benefit jobs on the rise, education and experience in this field are imperative to stand out from other candidates. But the question still beckons, will Certificate programs replace traditional tertiary education?


According to the Georgetown Center on education and the workforce (GCEW) certifications have more focused occupation - specific training instead of broader general education goals. Compared to the cost of college, certificate programs are one of the lowest cost postsecondary credentials available. But can certificate holders earn more than college graduates? According to some statistics from the GCEW, the answer is yes.


What isn't surprising is how they differ between men and women. In this finding, males holding an associate degree earned less money than 40 percent of male certificate holders and males holding bachelor's degrees earned 24 percent less than men holding a certificate. Female certificate holders, on the other hand, tended to earn somewhat less than male certificate holders with associates degrees.


However, both men and women with certifications earned equally more than those with bachelor's degrees. While these stats aren't complete proof, they do suggest that earning a certificate could be a great value to someone without a college degree seeking to improve their income. Additionally, the GCEW found that certification holders earned $240,000 more in lifetime earnings than those without a certificate, which would significantly make a difference in a person's ability to grow both their career and salary.


The answer to whether certification will replace traditional university education remains largely uncertain. Higher education requires bachelors, masters, and doctorates, however, can some workforce be successful without these degrees? As education costs rise for higher education in the U.S., there will be a larger number of individuals who seek this alternate opportunity and certification could be the best option for such individuals to earn fair wages in this economy.


Although, how this trend will progress into the future is unknown, it's safe to say these certificate programs are a viable alternative for those seeking to kick off or advance their career. The Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist program provides certification courses for people intending to start or advance in the career of employee health and wellness. People wishing to take the CCWS course live will benefit from the Healthcare Revolution  taking place in Orlando, Oct 28-30.


Taking the class live provides students the opportunity to ask the instructors questions, face to face, which they wouldn't be able to do in an online class. The CCWS live class also allows students the opportunity to network, making contacts and meeting key players in the industry giving them an edge over those without the opportunity. Although, how the market trend for certificate holders in corporate health and wellness courses will progress into the future is unknown, it's safe to say these certificate programs are a viable alternative for those seeking to kick off or advance their career in health and wellness.


CLICK HERE to learn how you can earn certification and make a change in your paygrade and career prospects. If you would like to learn about how we can bring these education and training programs to your team, please click here.  

Learn about how you can become a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist→