Skills Gap Articles

The trades’ growing appeal

Community colleges appear to be benefiting from shifting attitudes with Gen Z about the value of a traditional four-year degree and their concerns about prospects in an evolving job market where technology is both disrupting traditional careers and offering new opportunities. Those are the conclusions from a mix of research and analysis pointing to what […]

A new pathway to teaching

Seminole State College of Florida and Seminole County Public Schools are launching a new state-approved hands-on teacher apprenticeship program. Seminole County Public Schools is the number one public school district in Florida based on Niche reports. The new program prioritizes classroom experience over university-based learning and is part of the State of Florida’s effort to […]

Partnership revs up skills training program

The road to success for aspiring motorcycle technicians in New England runs through Great Bay Community College. Since 2018, Great Bay has partnered with Seacoast Harley-Davidson to teach the 24-credit Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair certificate program, which prepares students for careers in service, repair and maintenance of motorcycles. The field of motorcycle technology has become […]

Mobile Welding Outreach and Training Center paying dividends for students

Living in Columbia County, Ruben Gonzalez wanted to train for a career in welding. To do it, he did not have to go to Portland Community College because PCC came to him. Last June, the college’s PCC Mobile Welding Outreach and Training Center, in partnership with Union Pacific, visited Gonzalez’s high school in Scappoose. Within […]

Moving STEM ideas forward

The six community college teams in the 2024-2026 MentorLinks cohort met their mentors in October in Washington, D.C., and quickly fell into discussions about the details of their plans for improving a STEM technician education program. In between those conversations, the mentees attended professional development sessions organized by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) […]

Community colleges teach by example in times of crisis

On the evening of September 26, Hurricane Helene was barreling toward Western North Carolina. Our Blue Ridge Community College campuses were uncharacteristically dark and, to be frank, no one expected what our entire region was about to encounter. Just hours earlier, our campus chief of police and communications team issued a statement urging students, staff […]

Data analytics program empowers students, drives success for women in in-demand careers

Sinclair Community College continues to raise the bar in data analytics education by empowering more students with critical skills for in demand, living wage careers. By leveraging grant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Ohio college has expanded its data analytics programs and increased enrollment and completion for female students. In 2021, Sinclair […]

Nursing students prepare to give care in Kenya

Sarah Zech, a nursing instructor at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), said it’s not enough for students to know the technical skills of nursing. They also must know how to connect and care for patients as people. One way to do that is to immerse them in the world of health care in other cultures […]

Dance instructor program transforms passion into a career

San Jacinto College’s new dance instructor technical program is a gateway to turning a passion into a rewarding career. Through this specialized program, guided by expert instructors and held in the Texas college’s dance facilities, students gain the essential skills and experience to become a successful studio dance instructor. The program provides basic preparation for […]

Virtual opportunity for real-world learning

With the click of a stylus, Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) students studying heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) can manipulate an entire heat and air conditioning system, turn it upside down by themselves, take it apart and put it back together. Electrical students can wire a generator, and emergency medical services (EMS) students […]