In the largest higher education system in the United States with 2.1 million students, 35 California community colleges are participating in the CCC Maker Initiative to close the state’s middle-skills gap. The goal is to develop a successful education makerspace model to prepare students with 21st-century skills and encourage STEM/STEAM careers to fuel job creation […]
Skills Gap Articles
The role of businesses in dual enrollment
In Sandy, Utah, high school students in the Canyons School District earned 1,739 industry credentials last year. Students have the opportunity to start earning credentials and college credit as early as 9th grade, and getting industry certifications by their junior and senior years. “With these credentials, students are prepared to be successful in their chosen […]
Bringing order to credentialing
Several national initiatives are under way to bring some clarity to the concepts of competencies and credentials – and connect them in a meaningful way. Officials from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and other organizations described their work at AACC’s Workforce Development Institute. AACC’S Right Signals initiative is aimed at building a new […]
Report roundup
Here are three reports you should know about this month. The role of technology in designing a student-centered approach to higher education is explored in the National Higher Education Technology Plan, released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. The report includes recommendations on how institutions can engage and empower learning through […]
Infrastructure plan would create many jobs that require some college
A new analysis of President-elect Donald Trump’s $1 trillion proposal to revamp the nation’s infrastructure could create as many as 11 million new jobs over the next decade, including positions that would require at least an associate degree or postsecondary certificate. About 45 percent of the new infrastructure jobs would require at least some college […]
Giving entrepreneurs a start
Bucks County Community College (BCCC) in Pennsylvania has been incubating ideas and launching careers for more than 50 years. The new Start Me Up Challenge continues this trend. The competition gives aspiring entrepreneurs in Bucks County a chance to receive funding assistance and professional mentoring for an idea, concept or business. “Similar to the TV […]
New skills for a changing workforce
Strengthening and expanding career-education opportunities is the goal of the New Skills for Youth initiative. Ten states will pilot the program: Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin. They’ll work to increase the number of students who graduate from high school prepared for careers. Each state is receiving a $2 […]
Colleges help nursing students attain BSNs
As hospitals increasingly prefer nurses with bachelor’s degrees, community colleges are developing innovative ways to ensure nursing students have an opportunity to continue their education. Some have agreements with universities for dual enrollment, for example, while others have formed partnerships allowing for a seamless transition to university-level programs with shared faculty and curriculums or plan […]
Finding STEM-based solutions for real-world problems
Up for a challenge? AACC, in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), hosts the annual Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). It’s designed to foster the development of innovation, research and entrepreneurial skills among community college students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The 2017 CCIC will focus on three themes: Maker to […]
Partnership integrates ed, training for inmates
In Massachusetts, Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Hampden County Sheriff’s Department will use a $71,300 state grant to train currently and formerly incarcerated men and women for food service jobs while also preparing them to pass their high school equivalency tests. The grant, from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s adult and community […]