A recent NY Times article describes a growing trend in community colleges to forego the 2-year pursuit of an Associate's Degree and instead sign-on for some intense short-term training and certification courses.  The area colleges are tuned in to what the area businesses need in a worker and then set out to make it happen.  Community colleges have always been known for their flexibility in schedule but now we are seeing an increasing flexibility in class offerings.  So what would you do if your company downsized and your job was cut?  Would you spend months looking for a new job of the same type or would you consider being "retrained"?  In today's economy unemployment is not an option.  Most people are willing and eager to be productive citizens and if that means signing up for some classes at the community college, then so be it.  Is there any shame in not pursuing the degree?  Of course not.  It makes sense to make yourself more employable and a degree isn't always necessary for that.