At Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, a test of College for America’s (CfA) competency-based education (CBE) model has been underway since fall 2015. Harper is one of seven founding members of a consortium created to enable community colleges to explore CfA’s CBE platform and partner with area employers to address workforce-competency shortfalls. In the current […]

Since Gateway Community and Technical College and the local Citi call center, in Florence, Kentucky, embarked on a workforce-development partnership more than 10 years ago, more than 2,600 employees of the financial-services company have started or completed college credentials. More than 1,800 have taken college-credit courses at Gateway, and another 800 have taken customized training […]

The Alamo Colleges district, in Texas, recently won the Bellwether Award for its Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program, which provides free workforce training in addition to social services and remedial education. What makes the I-BEST program, started in 2010 and inspired by a Washington state program, so successful? “One thing we focus […]

Houston Community College (HCC) has stretched the definition of “community” to include the global community, with strategic alliances it has formed around the world, resulting in fully accredited degree programs in Vietnam; training and workforce development in Brazil; and consulting services in the Middle East. These international relations not only have boosted community and economic […]

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 […]