Skills Gap > Employee-Employer Matching

American Association of Community Colleges. To improve collaboration between community colleges and workforce leaders, AACC and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council convened community college leaders and workforce investment boards from across the country. The group discussed strategies for expanding effective collaborative models, joint advocacy, and strategic messaging.

Community College–Industry Partnerships. AACC created this database of community college–industry partnerships. Colleges are encouraged to contact AACC to add their successful partnership.

The Role of Higher Education in Career Development: Employer Perceptions. This survey was conducted by Marketplace and The Chronicle of Higher Education, asking employers what they expect when looking to hire recent graduates.

Edison Community College (Ohio). The partnership between Edison Community College and Emerson Climate Technologies leverages talent and resources to advance the missions of both organizations, and to improve the region’s economic viability. Emerson—a leading provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration solutions—provides more than 3,000 manufacturing jobs to the region. During the 20-year partnership, the company has supported Edison by advising the college on program development and helping to align curriculum and workforce needs. Emerson has provided internship opportunities for IT and engineering students and employment for graduates.

Indian River State College (Florida). A dynamic partnership between Indian River State College (IRSC), Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has helped to fill the energy skilled-worker shortage in the nuclear industry and provide jobs in a region with high unemployment. The partners developed the Power Plant Technology Institute to build the skills of the current workforce and to train the future nuclear energy workforce. Students are provided hands-on training for careers in the maintenance and operation of power plant systems, with curriculum and subject-matter experts supplied by FPL and the IBEW. This industry-driven program has a retention rate of 95%, and 90% of its graduates have found employment in the nuclear industry, with salaries averaging $55,000.

Midlands Technical College (South Carolina). Michelin North America turned to Midlands Technical College (MTC) to help develop a pipeline of technical talent for its Lexington, South Carolina, facility. Michelin and MTC partnered with a local school district to create the Michelin Technical Scholars Program, which identifies candidates while still in high school and introduces them to industrial opportunities, while changing their perceptions of manufacturing jobs. The students are offered full scholarships to MTC along with paid, part-time positions at Michelin.

Monroe Community College (New York). The demand for skilled optics technicians is on the rise in Rochester, New York, outpacing the supply of trained workers. Corning, a worldwide leader in specialty glass and ceramics, partnered with Monroe Community College (MCC), which has the oldest optics system technology program in the nation, and invested $500,000 in the college to enable MCC to help build a pipeline of workers to support the growing field of optics, and introduce more students to STEM disciplines.

Northeast Community College (Nebraska). When Nucor, the largest steel and steel products company in the nation, introduced the detailing center to the region in 2005, Northeast quickly responded by committing to double the drafting enrollment size to prepare students for NDC careers. At the time, NDC had seven employees. The company saw the opportunity to make Northeast the primary recruiting ground for their drafting professionals. Nucor has grown to 70 employees. Curriculum is continually upgraded to meet changing industry needs.

Northeast State Community College (Tennessee). Northeast State and Eastman Chemical Company partnered to develop several degree programs—machine technology, metal fabrication and welding, electromechanical technology, and chemical process operations—that give students access to specially-designed curriculum, state-of-the-art instruction, and training for the 21st century workforce. In turn, the collaboration gives Eastman co-ops and trainees that have gone on to become full-time employees.

Richland Community College (llinois). The college is engaged in a powerful partnership with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Schlumberger Carbon Services, University of Illinois-Illinois State Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory. The partnership came together as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Illinois-Industry Carbon Capture and Storage project—a $207-millioncollaboration designed to capture and store more than 2.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over 3 years. The training has been delivered to more than 22,000 people since 2011. The project has resulted in 900 domestic jobs, including 250 local jobs, and 10 permanent jobs. The local economic impact is estimated to be more than $30 million.

Walla Walla Community College (Washington). The college uses strong connections with local employers, sophisticated workforce data analysis, and extensive engagement in regional economic development to identify current and potential job growth. For example, Walla Walla played a central role in development of the region’s vineyards and wineries by educating both the workers and the people who built the businesses. This effort helped the region update a slowing agriculture industry and replace jobs lost in other areas. The college also partners with the power company for program development in wind energy, another field with potential for job growth.

Westmoreland County Community College (Pennsylvania). The ShaleNET job training program at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) is filling the need for workers in the growing natural gas industry. To make the program successful, WCCC has a host of partners, including 20 higher and secondary educational institutions, more than 125 regional gas company employers, state workforce investment boards, and regional economic and community development agencies. In 3 years of providing intensive, short-term training using industry-certified curriculum, ShaleNET has successfully trained 1,177 people for family-sustaining jobs.

 

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