Colorado’s Morgan Community College (MCC)—and the community it serves—are working on a new program to remove barriers around language for local entrepreneurs. MCC plans to launch a Multicultural Entrepreneurship Program to provide support for Spanish- and Somali-speaking individuals interested in opening or expanding their businesses, and who may need help accessing education or community supports. […]
Skills Gap Articles
Global focus enhances learning
A focus on global education has enhanced student learning at Harper College in Illinois. It’s also landed the college the Institute of International Education (IIE) Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. Harper received the award for the Community College category for its Global Region of Focus (GRF) Initiative. The Heiskell Award honors colleges […]
Making the humanities a priority
Last week, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded grants to eight community colleges for humanities projects. That number is a fraction of the total number of projects recognized by the NEH; in all, 188 projects are getting grant funding. But the humanities are getting more attention at community colleges. That’s good for both students […]
Developing a teacher pipeline
Seminole State College of Florida, the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) have partnered to launch a new program to fill teaching positions in the school district. The Education and Cultivation Homegrown (TEACH) program was developed so SCPS can grow their own teaching staff. “The intent of the TEACH program […]
Mapping a new future
It was just two years ago that Mickey Davis, 29, was employed as a bartender when one day he noticed a map on a back wall of the kitchen where he worked. “I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my career,” he said. That’s when Davis had a eureka moment and began […]
At rural colleges, workforce development on a budget
It has nothing to do with Monty Python, but the Flying Circus drone-race events during the past three years in Covington, Virginia, are one of many reasons and indications that rural community colleges and their students are looking toward the bright side of life. Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in nearby Clifton Forge, a co-host […]
Same town, new start
Charles Baker and Jeff Wilson have a lot in common. Second and third-generation coal miners, respectively, they both believed their jobs would last a lifetime. With four children ranging from six to 19, Wilson had spent over a decade underground. A father of two, ages 13 and 18, Baker had accumulated over 20 years in […]
Cannabis programs on the rise
Oakton Community College in Illinois launched in the fall a new cannabis dispensary and patient care specialist certificate. The certificate is the first college-credit career certificate for the fast-growing medical cannabis industry offered by a community college, according to Oakton, and aligns with state and federal laws that regulate cannabis distribution to clients. The 12-credit […]
TAACCCT as a model for future workforce efforts
During a House subcommittee hearing Dec. 18 on how Congress can address worker displacement by expanding access to lifelong learning, a former top-level U.S. Labor Department official noted that the TAACCCT program has provided a structure that can help workers and employers. Seth Harris, who served as U.S. deputy labor secretary and its chief operating […]
Makerspaces make an impact
From July 2016 to May 2019, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office’s Workforce and Economic Division funded the $17 million CCC Maker Initiative. The goal was to grow a statewide network of makerspaces linked to community colleges and develop a workforce for the digital or innovation economy. These makerspaces have integrated hands-on making and familiarity […]