Introduction to Noncredit Programs, Certificates, and Courses
Oregon Community Colleges offer a wide array of noncredit courses, programs, and certificates in a range of topics, and for a range of ages and audiences.
Partnership Between the HECC Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) and Oregon's Community Colleges
Noncredit programs, certificates, and courses provide Oregon residents with opportunities to learn new skills and enhance current ones in a variety of subjects - business advice, job training, skills attainment, personal growth, and recreation. Several organizations, groups, and structures exist to provide avenues for residents to access the skills and opportunities they are looking for.
Noncredit Training Certificate of Completion (NCTC)
Noncredit training certificates provide documentation of skill attainment for entry-level positions in a wide variety of industries. They also serve as a gateway to the resources provided by the colleges, allowing workers and prospective workers to attain college credentials. Employers and segments of the workforce are increasingly seeking ways to document competencies and job skills, and many occupational fields value a workforce credential over academic documentation for job placement, advancement, and promotion. College-sponsored certifications can also allow for credentialing to be earned in an area where there is no readily available industry standard. An NCTC can be awarded for single stand-alone courses or a series of courses, with a combined total of 18-210 instructional hours. Certificates are transcripted by the colleges.
Oregon Business and Industry Training System (BITS)
The Oregon Business and Industry Training System (Oregon BITS) offers workforce training for employers and business owners seeking specialized or custom job training programs for their employees. The Oregon Business and Industry Training System includes a statewide workforce training network of community colleges that offer specialized and customized workforce development programs to business and industry. This workforce training system provides employers across the state with access to quality programs and subject matter experts to train and develop their workforce in order to help employers in the state of Oregon build a more qualified workforce across the entire state.
Oregon Association of Continuing and Community Education (OACCE)
Continuing and Community Education provides life-long learning opportunities that enhance the fulfillment and personal success of the members of our communities. It provides courses and learning events in line with our community's needs in all areas of the workforce, the business community, private/public organizations, and personal enrichment. Classes are taught by qualified, local community members and visiting instructors who have experience in their field and a love of teaching. Courses vary in length from single-session workshops to longer courses that meet up to five days a week. Offerings vary from term to term and adapt to meet their community’s ever-evolving needs.
Oregon Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Small Business Development Centers provide advising, training, online courses and resources for businesses and farms throughout Oregon. The SBDCs deliver services to anyone who owns or operates a business or farm or is planning to start. We work with businesses in every industry and at every stage of growth, from startups to well-established companies, from one employee to 500. In addition to no-cost confidential advising, we offer training and online courses that cover a wide range of business topics. The Oregon Network is a well-established partnership between 17 Oregon community colleges, two state universities, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Oregon Business Development Department.