Skills Gap Articles

Students pitch their passion projects

On June 11, in a hearing room on Capitol Hill, 12 teams of community college students anxiously stood next to posters that outlined innovations they’d been working on for months. The students, along with faculty mentors, were in Washington, D.C., as part of the annual Community College Innovation Challenge. The program, led by the American […]

JetBlue brings pilot development program to Broward College students

Broward College (Florida) is the first community college in the nation to partner with JetBlue’s Gateway University, giving students from its Emil Buehler Aviation Institute a tremendous opportunity. JetBlue’s Gateway University, which is a pilot development program, partners with top university aviation programs. They were recently searching for additional partner schools, especially in metropolitan areas […]

A destination for skills training

More than 6,100 members of five national and international trade unions will travel to Ann Arbor this summer to advance their skills and knowledge. Nearly 5,000 will train at Washtenaw Community College. Plumber and pipefitter; ironworker; roofer; plasterer and cement mason; and electrical worker union members will train with their respective trade organizations each for […]

Partnership will expand educational opportunities, childcare options

Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum (Explora) and Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) have joined forces to launch a trailblazing model of early childhood education. It invests in high-quality STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) early education and childcare, a well-trained early childhood educator workforce, and much-needed childcare services for community members and […]

Affordable housing management program leads to jobs

Marisol Martinez is one of the first success stories from MiraCosta College’s new affordable housing management certificate program. Martinez, a stay-at-home mother to four children, was in the program’s first cohort, which began in August. Students who complete the free program receive a certification in affordable housing management, which prepares them to enter the workforce […]

Accelerating entry into the human services workforce

Holyoke Community College (HCC) is recruiting students interested in working in the human services field for a free, two-semester certificate program that starts in September 2024. This is the second year of the grant-funded human services certificate program, which started in the fall of 2023 after the college received a $1.28 million award from the […]

A new path to a teaching degree

Officials from Valencia College and Orange and Osceola county schools on May 2 unveiled the details of a new apprenticeship program for college students who want to become teachers. Announced at the college’s West Campus, the new apprenticeships will allow students to work in schools as classroom paraprofessionals while earning their bachelor’s degree in elementary […]

IT Academy creates career opportunities for non-traditional students

The IT Academy at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) is a “life-changer” for Juan Burgos, a Springfield resident. Echoing comments from other students enrolled in the IT Academy at STCC, Burgos said he’s excited to be working toward certifications that are tickets to good-paying jobs in the cybersecurity industry. Students in the first cohort held […]

Students expand cybersecurity knowledge with real-world scenario

Conrad Ledebuhr gave off a cool demeanor as he sat in the new computer lab used for cybersecurity training at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) on April 15.  But not too cool.  The fourth-semester IT-networking student, with six of his classmates, was tasked with first recognizing that a cybersecurity breach had been made, and then […]

First-of-its-kind registered apprenticeship program launches in Wisconsin

Madison College, UW Health and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development have launched the nation’s first respiratory therapist registered apprenticeship. The three-year program is open to UW Health staff. Graduates will earn an associate degree and become licensed registered respiratory therapists after passing board examinations. Madison College faculty will provide classroom instruction, including prerequisite coursework […]