A 2017 report from Dell Technologies and the Institute for the Future estimated that 85 percent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 had not yet been invented. The report argued that change will be so fast that people will keep learning on the job, and that the ability to gain new knowledge will matter more than any fixed body of knowledge.
That idea sits behind competency-based education. Instead of measuring seat time, this model measures what students can actually do. Students work through projects and applied tasks, and they advance when they show mastery of each skill. The benefits of competency-based learning include a clearer link between coursework and workplace skills.
Continents International University presents its programs this way, pairing applied projects with an asynchronous online format. Students complete work on their own schedule, which fits people who are already working. The advantages of asynchronous study explain the format in more detail.
The university holds IACBE candidacy granted in July 2024, running through July 31, 2029. Candidacy is an early step toward accreditation, not accreditation itself. Students preparing for an uncertain job market can also read about skills gained from a master’s degree and preparing for the future of work.

