How Workforce Development Differs from Traditional Education
Traditional academic pathways at SUNY Empire offer students broad-based degrees that can lead to a variety of career options or continued education. Workforce development pathways, by contrast, are employer-driven and outcome-specific. They are built in collaboration with employers to fill clearly defined workforce needs — whether preparing new employees, reskilling current staff, or building promotion pathways inside organizations.
While traditional education emphasizes academic flexibility and exploration, workforce development focuses on direct pipelines into roles, advancement opportunities, and credential attainment.
SUNY Empire’s Distinct Role
SUNY Empire is uniquely positioned to lead workforce development across New York State because of our:
- Statewide reach and online capacity, allowing us to scale employer-driven programs in urban, suburban, and rural regions.
- Flexible pathways, where students can start with non-credit training, microcredentials, or certificates and advance seamlessly into higher degrees.
- Capacity to serve as a Related Technical Instruction (RTI) provider, design new microcredentials, offer non-credit to credit pathways, and embed workforce training into promotion ladders.
- Commitment to experiential learning, connecting classroom learning to workplace realities through internships, employer-sponsored projects, and applied research opportunities.
Through these efforts, SUNY Empire functions as a system-wide integrator, complementing community colleges while advancing the SUNY strategy for workforce development and upward mobility.
What Falls Under the Workforce Development Umbrella at SUNY Empire
- Employer–Education Partnerships
- Generating New Workforce (dual enrollment, pre-apprenticeships)
- Training Existing Workforce (reskilling and upskilling)
- Promotion Pathways for career advancement
- Non-Credit & Non-Credit to Credit Pathways
- Microcredentials and Individually Developed Program Plans
- Community College Partnerships
- Apprenticeships
- Professional Development and Career Services Integration
Part 1 of SUNY Empire’s Workforce Development Initiatives series.
Part 2 of SUNY Empire’s Workforce Development Initiative series.
This is the second in a three-part series on SUNY Empire’s Workforce Development initiatives.
By: Krystal Ripa, Ph.D.,
Director, Workforce Development at Empire State University
