The George Meany Center for Labor Studies–the National Labor College (GMC-NLC) will begin, later this year, to offer a new Bachelor’s degree program. The new degree is a Bachelor’s of Technical/Professional Studies (BTPS) that will be available to a wide array of union members who have already completed apprenticeship, Associate of Applied Science, AA, AS or other technical training in their field of employment. This initiative presents new opportunities for skilled workers to acquire the bene- fits of a higher education degree.

A Reverse Bachelor’s Degree
The BTPS program follows an innovative format sometimes called a “reverse bachelor’s degree.” Workers who have completed technical training programs will be awarded college credit for those programs in accordance with appropriate standards devised by GMC-NLC. These standards are based upon recommended formulas established by the American Council on Education (ACE). Supplemented by a field internship and courses provided by GMC-NLC in a convenient format, AFL-CIO members would be able to build upon the foundation provided by their vocational training to achieve a four-year degree. The courses provide by GMC-NLC under the BTPS program would fill in the general education requirements and electives essential for receiving a Bachelor’s degree.

The BTPS program will be initiated on a limited basis this fall. It is anticipated that the program will be rapidly expanded and eventually available to virtually every worker who has completed a union established and certified training program. There are estimated to be thousands of union workers throughout the United States and overseas who would be eligible to participate, and, upon successful completion of required courses, receive an undergraduate degree.

Advanced Leadership Education
BTPS is only one of many initiatives undertaken by GMC-NLC designed to fulfill its stated mission of bringing higher education to working individuals and preparing union representatives for the challenge of leadership in a global economy. Officials are also developing plans for an advanced program of leadership education for labor movement officials similar in scope to the advanced executive training used by many corporations. Future plans also anticipate the creation of Masters and Doctoral programs in fields related to Labor Studies.

The George Meany Center for Labor Studies was originally founded by the AFL-CIO in order to provide a central facility for the training and education of union officials. In 1974 the Center began offering a program leading to a Bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies under the auspices of Antioch College. In 1997 the institution became an independent degree-granting college under the title the National Labor College. Last year it was legally renamed the George Meany Center for Labor Studies –the National Labor College (GMC-NLC). The third graduating class of GMC-NLC was celebrated on June 30, 2001.

Accessible Programs
Since 1974 GMC-NLC has pioneered a low-residency format for workers pursuing a college education. The low-residency format requires students to be physically on campus for a one-week period during which they may take as many as three classes in an intensive fashion. The remaining course assignments are

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