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"You can't beat the opportunity," Delcid said. "When I leave work, I go downstairs and go to class. Besides actually putting the piece of paper in your hand, it can't be any simpler than that."

Delcid, who was working in a customer service and data-entry position before starting the associate degree program, had always wanted to sign up groups for Blue Cross policies as a project manager. Before going back to school, she said, she never would have had the confidence or the qualifications to apply for such a job.

"It has allowed me to empower myself," she said.

It takes flexibility

Degree-granting programs, however, have their own challenges.

Companies must find universities that are able to adapt to off-site courses, keep program offerings up-to-date with corporate needs and harness teaching methods that work not only for their 50-year-old employees, but for the next generation of tech-savvy workers.

Durham Tech holds classes at sites in Durham and Orange counties, so it was a natural process for the college to begin offering classes on Blue Cross' campus, said Maria Fraser-Molina, assistant vice president and head of Durham Tech's arts, sciences and university transfer department.

The university transfer curriculum is set by the UNC System, but the college has been creative in the way it structures the courses. Its challenge: to design minisessions that allow students to fit in two classes per semester while taking only one course at a time.

Students attend class one night a week for eight weeks and spend additional time working with classmates and professors online from home. For instance, a Spanish class would offer in-person lectures and online language lab sessions, Fraser-Molina said.

Adding online components to traditional classes will be increasingly important as the next generation of employees hits the workplace, Meister said.

"This is the generation that grew up with Google, that grew up doing their papers online, shopping online, banking online, and I think they're going to demand a whole new set of services from employers," she said.

Older employees might be intimidated by wikis and online discussions, but they will appreciate the ability to schedule class requirements around family time, Meister said.

Employers owe it to workers to make sure they're prepared to use the same kind of technology on the job, she said.

Incorporating new online components into its offering has been a challenge for Blue Cross, Johnson said, as has making sure the educational programs stay up-to-date and aligned with its business needs.

Some very large companies have gone so far as to design master's degree programs that supply the specialized skills their workers need, Meister said.

That's not in the plans at Blue Cross, but Johnson's team is considering offering degrees in nursing, health promotion, computer science and information technology and business and risk management that closely fit its business and mission.

Even now, with professors teaching their regular syllabi on Blue Cross' campus, employees say they benefit from taking class with their colleagues.

Learning alongside colleagues who work in sales and claims helped Stutts, 54, learn about other departments at Blue Cross and allowed class discussions to incorporate real-life examples from the insurer's business.

"We're all dealing with the health-care change that's in the air," he said. "We were able to work through some interesting times together."

Despite the personal rewards, earning an MBA doesn't mean instant career advancement, Stutts said.

Graduates must take the initiative to capitalize on the degree, he said. And so far, he hasn't seen any positions he wants to pursue.

"I haven't opened any doors lately," he said. "You've got to reach out for that handle, and you've got to pull it yourself."

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