Prisoner education programs aren’t new to community colleges. Last year, for example, California rolled out more tools and courses that help state community colleges provide instruction to prison inmates. While that pilot program is new, one on the East Coast, in Connecticut, has garnered attention for its success, helping more than 2,000 incarcerated parents reunite […]

The Aspen Institute recently announced 150 community colleges eligible for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The prize recognizes community colleges that have achieved strong student outcomes in four primary areas: certificate and degree completion; student learning; employment and earnings; and success for minority and low-income students. While each eligible institution has proved […]

Within the past 15 years, the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) has seen 35 new and existing businesses drop more than $1 million in capital investments into the region, generating 5,000 jobs. For each employer considering an expansion in the region, CSI — which houses the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization — has been at […]

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, craft brewing is rapidly expanding with businesses focusing on traditional brewing, distribution, bottling and growing hops. Now, with the help of industry partners as well as other higher-education institutions, colleges are helping to prepare skilled workers who know the ins and outs of the craft-brewing sector. At Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), […]

Sinclair Community College, which in January became the nation’s only community college to join the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, was an early adopter of unmanned-aircraft technology among its peers, says Deborah Norris, vice president of workforce development and corporate services at the college. The move got underway following a 2008 […]

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs are expected to grow more rapidly than any other occupation in the United States. By 2022, 9 million jobs are projected, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. STEM jobs generally pay more, on average, than non-STEM jobs. While many of these jobs require graduate degrees, community […]

Prospects for would-be pharmacy technicians are good — better than average — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job growth between 2014 and 2024 is expected to reach 9 percent, equaling 34,700 new positions over that time period. In 2005, CVS Health was the first employer to launch a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]

With just more than 6,500 students, Tri-County Technical College (TCTC), in South Carolina, is a relatively small community college, but it’s having an impact on pathway programs that lead students to higher education and careers while supporting the community’s workforce. “It’s our desire for every student to have a transformative student experience,” says Ronnie L. […]

Lake Land College (LLC), in Mattoon, Illinois, recently created a welding school to promote work-based learning to its Accelerating Opportunity (AO) students. The AO program, which is run in conjunction with Jobs for the Future, is a one-semester program designed to get students qualified and into the workforce as quickly as possible. Each welding cohort […]

The leaders of the California Community Colleges system have adopted a set of 25 recommendations to help fill the state’s need for an estimated 1 million more credentialed workers within the next decade. Last month, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors voted unanimously to adopt the recommendations of the California Task Force on Workforce, […]