Career Step, an online career training company, has become a point of discussion, particularly concerning its programs aimed at individuals seeking to enter the healthcare industry. While Career Step offers various programs, it’s essential to approach them with a comprehensive understanding, especially in light of recent regulatory actions. This article delves into what Career Step offers, providing a balanced perspective for prospective students.
Understanding Career Step’s Program Offerings
Career Step markets itself as a provider of online training and certification programs designed to equip students for careers in healthcare. Their programs are particularly targeted towards servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses, groups often seeking flexible and accessible education options. The company promotes a range of programs, including but not limited to:
- Medical Assistant: Training individuals to assist physicians and other healthcare professionals in clinical and administrative tasks.
- Medical Coding and Billing: Focusing on the critical aspects of healthcare administration, teaching students how to classify medical procedures and diagnoses for insurance reimbursement.
- Pharmacy Technician: Preparing individuals to assist pharmacists in dispensing medications and managing pharmacy operations.
- Executive Medical Assistant: An advanced program building upon medical assistant skills with a focus on leadership and administrative roles.
- Medical Transcription and Editing: Training students to transcribe and edit medical reports and documents.
- Healthcare IT: Programs focusing on the growing field of information technology within healthcare settings.
These programs are advertised as being fully online and self-paced, offering the flexibility often needed by adult learners and those with demanding schedules. Career Step emphasizes career readiness, suggesting their programs lead to direct job opportunities in the healthcare sector.
FTC Charges and Deceptive Practices: A Critical Consideration
However, it is crucial to acknowledge the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) findings regarding Career Step’s practices. The FTC recently mandated Career Step to pay a significant sum for debt cancellation and cash refunds due to deceptive advertising. The FTC alleged that Career Step lured consumers with misleading claims about:
- Job Placement Rates: Exaggerating the likelihood of graduates securing employment in their field of study.
- Hiring Partnerships: Misrepresenting relationships with prominent companies as direct pathways to employment.
- Program Outcomes: Inflating success rates and employment statistics.
- Externship Availability: Falsely promising externships as a standard part of their programs when, in reality, placement was limited for students.
- Program Duration: Understating the time required to complete programs, leading to unexpected costs for extensions.
Image: A sample of Career Step’s homepage highlighting their “Trusted Employer Network”. This image is relevant to the FTC’s claims regarding misleading partnership representations.
The FTC’s complaint highlights that Career Step’s claims of job placement assistance were largely unsubstantiated, primarily consisting of resume advice and links to publicly available job boards. Furthermore, employment statistics were based on limited surveys with low response rates, creating a skewed and overly optimistic picture of graduate success. The advertised “Hiring Partners,” including well-known companies, did not translate into guaranteed job placements for Career Step graduates.
The issue of externships is particularly significant in healthcare training. Many healthcare roles require practical, hands-on experience, often gained through externships. The FTC found that Career Step misrepresented the availability of these crucial externships, potentially hindering students’ ability to complete programs and gain necessary practical skills.
Incentivized Reviews and Transparency
Another concerning practice highlighted by the FTC was Career Step’s incentivized review program. Students were offered program extensions in exchange for posting positive reviews on platforms like BBB, Google, and Trustpilot. This practice raises questions about the authenticity and reliability of online reviews, as they may not fully represent the unbiased experiences of all Career Step students.
Making Informed Decisions About Career Step Programs
For individuals considering enrolling in Career Step programs, it is vital to proceed with caution and conduct thorough research. While Career Step offers a range of online healthcare training programs, the FTC’s findings indicate a history of deceptive marketing practices. Prospective students should:
- Critically Evaluate Job Placement Claims: Be wary of promises of guaranteed job placement. Investigate the actual career services offered and independently research employment prospects in their chosen field.
- Verify Externship Opportunities: If an externship is crucial for program completion or career goals, confirm the availability and placement process directly with Career Step and seek verifiable data.
- Scrutinize Success Statistics: Understand the methodology behind any employment statistics presented. Be aware of the limitations of survey-based data and seek broader industry employment data.
- Look Beyond Online Reviews: Consider the potential influence of incentivized reviews. Seek out independent reviews and testimonials from multiple sources, and consider contacting former students directly if possible.
- Understand Total Costs and Program Duration: Clarify all program costs, including potential extension fees, and realistically assess the time commitment required for completion.
Conclusion: Proceed with Due Diligence
Career Step offers a variety of online career training programs in the healthcare field. However, the FTC’s action serves as a critical reminder to approach these offerings with careful scrutiny. While the programs themselves may provide valuable skills, prospective students must be diligent in their research, understand the limitations highlighted by the FTC, and make informed decisions about their career training investments. Understanding what programs Career Step offers is just the first step; thorough investigation and critical evaluation are essential for navigating the landscape of online career education.
