Dive Brief:
- Liberty University, in Virginia, acquired the "educational components" of a nearby trade school with the goal of offering its students a career pathway without having to spend several years earning a degree, it announced last week.
- The evangelical institution will use programming from Virginia Technical Institute, a nonprofit trade school, to bolster both its for-credit classes and its Center for Professional & Continuing Education, which offers noncredit certificates and badges.
- It is unclear whether VTI will continue to operate independent of Liberty. Neither institution immediately responded to a request for comment Monday.
Dive Insight:
The two institutions, located just twenty miles apart, have collaborated for over 10 years on Liberty's technical studies program. Through that program, Liberty’s students can work toward a diploma while also enrolling in VTI courses like welding, plumbing and carpentry. They can take VTI courses as electives or to complete a minor or associate degree in technical studies.
The program is meant to give students licenses and other credentials that will help them launch careers post-graduation.
Liberty enrolled 96,709 students in fall 2022, according to federal data. VTI did not respond to a question about its enrollment Monday.
Liberty's acquisition of VTI's classes is geared toward adult learners, veterans and employees looking to learn a skill or trade, university officials said Friday. Adult learners are typically considered those ages 25 and older.
"I believe this new acquisition reinforces our commitment to expanding skilled trade training,” Scott Hicks, Liberty's provost and chief academic officer, said in a Thursday statement. He said the move aligns with the university's goal of strengthening the workforce.
Dale Moore, VTI's founder, similarly praised the deal.
“The shared vision between VTI and Liberty University will enhance trade training, fostering an environment where talent meets opportunity," he said in a statement.
VTI's curriculum has been overseen by the National Center for Construction Education and Research, a trade credential and certification nonprofit.
Last week's announcement did not clarify if the acquisition would require the programming to be approved by Liberty's accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The accrediting body did not immediately respond to questions Monday about whether it would need to sign off on the deal.
The university's increased focus on trade credentials comes as prospective students express interest in them.
A majority of surveyed adults who don't have a college degree and aren’t enrolled in postsecondary education are considering pursuing a credential in the near future, according to a May report from the Lumina Foundation and Gallup.
And their interest is increasingly focused on industry certification programs. The report found that 19% of respondents had considered pursuing an industry certification in the past two years — a 9 percentage-point jump from 2021.
Liberty gained national attention in recent years over a protracted legal battle with its controversial former president, Jerry Falwell Jr. In July, the university said it had reached a settlement with Falwell for an undisclosed amount.
