Many companies offer employees some form of tuition reimbursement for attending an accredited college. But, a few companies are taking employee learning a step further, with no-cost company-created learning programs. A recent post from eLearners.com explains:

"This trend sees individual companies are creating their own internal "degree programs" that emulate traditional Online Degree Programs. In these cases, the organizations are putting together a "degree" plan (or a number of differing degree plans) that allow employees to earn a certificate that is referred to as a "degree". The degree programs can be made up exclusively of in-house training opportunities, or they can be a mix of internal and external training classes."

The good news: employees are given an easy way to advance without having to pay tuition or deal with complicated tuition reimbursement arrangements. The bad news: most of these in-house "degrees" are not properly accredited. A degree that earns you advancement in one company isn't likely to be recognized outside of the office.