Students from the MegaTech program at St. Charles Community College (SCC) delivered toys, which they adapted as part of their class, to the St. Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center. The toys will be distributed to young patients with developing motor skills. MegaTech introduces dual-enrolled high school students to advanced manufacturing and mechatronics. The program also […]
Skills Gap Articles
Perfect storm leads to collaboration on workforce development
New Jersey expects to add 78,300 new health services jobs by 2026. By 2028, the demand for technology and innovation workers will have increased by 6% from today’s 300,000. These industries and others rely on the state’s community colleges to produce enough graduates to fill these positions. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) […]
Wisconsin college boosts trades and engineering enrollments
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is hitting industry milestones, as full-time enrollments to its trades & engineering technologies programs have increased 17%. “Like most institutions, NWTC was not immune to the enrollment impacts that Covid-19 has had on higher education,” NWTC Dean of Trades & Engineering Amy Kox said. “In order to effectively fill workforce […]
Moving careers forward
Elizabeth Martinez repeatedly sees the “aha! moment” light up the eyes of program participants, when feelings of self-doubt are overridden by the recognition of possibility. It’s a feeling some haven’t experienced in a long time. Martinez is a career skills coach for students with an interest in getting their commercial driver’s license, an industry with […]
Open, affordable and stackable
Henry Gage was working at Target during Covid — one of the few places open during the pandemic at the time — when he decided it was time for a change. Gage was ready to dive into the information technology (IT) field — he would often help family members troubleshoot their computers — so he […]
A unique college-social services collaboration
Thirty-six-year-old Harry C. was born and raised in New York City. Like millions of other New Yorkers before him, he made some mistakes as a young adult. He later found his way to the social services agency Project Renewal, a citywide organization that helps individuals impacted by homelessness, substance use, mental illness and/or justice system […]
Eliminating language barriers in the hospitality industry
The Community College of Denver (CCD) and the Hispanic Restaurant Association have partnered together to create the Food and Beverage Language Institute (FBLI). This joint program will deliver language-based training for employees in the hospitality and food and beverage industries in Colorado. With more than 60% of non-native English speakers working in the food and beverage […]
Using MentorLinks to revamp biomed tech program
North Arkansas College (North Ark) restarted and revamped its biomedical electronics program using MentorLinks connections to information, educators and professional development for its faculty. “The [MentorLinks] grant has helped establish and direct the biomed program as it stands today,” said Scott Howie, director of the Technical Center at North Ark and the lead for the […]
Building the workforce and creating opportunity
In an effort to help combat the skilled worker shortage, Moraine Park Technical College (Wisconsin) offers Manufacturing Skills Academy Boot Camps – a unique opportunity to gain entry-level skills. The two boot camps – computer numerical control (cnc) and welding – are tuition-free, 3-month long programs. In addition to skill development, the boot camps include […]
In it for the long haul
A national shortage of 80,000 truck drivers isn’t a small problem. From freight haulers to retail companies, delivery services to construction firms, businesses that rely on trucking face a constant battle to find and retain qualified drivers. According to the American Trucking Association, the shortage could surpass 160,000 by 2030. That’s one of the reasons […]