Skills Gap Articles

Next cohort of colleges selected for MentorLinks

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has announced a new cohort for the MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education program with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The MentorLinks initiative pairs experienced community college mentors with extensive experience in planning and implementing advanced technology programs with colleges seeking support to build, strengthen, and sustain new […]

Welding students fulfill crucial need in community

Three inches of water may not sound like a lot. When it comes in the form of a slow-moving rainstorm, however, it can become a soggy nightmare. That was the scenario for the staff and animals at Colorado’s Mission: Wolf one year ago. A July storm stalled directly over the wolf sanctuary near Westcliffe and […]

Data campus will help students, state

Indian River State College (IRSC) plans to establish a dedicated, fully operational data campus in Okeechobee County, positioning the county at the epicenter of the state’s data center capacity. The data campus, named Okee-One, is the primary focus of economic revitalization for the former Okeechobee “School for Boys” site. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB1603 […]

Push for more women as construction apprentices

The huge influx of federal funding for infrastructure projects across the country will yield results only if it has the trained workforce to do the job. And that will require attracting prospective employees into certain sectors that don’t typically pull from underrepresented populations. Take, for example, women in construction careers. While women comprise about half […]

Program accelerates interest in automotive careers

Gerardo Martinez’s foot barely reached the gas pedal on his grandfather’s old pickup truck the first time he revved the engine. But he instantly fell in love with that powerful sound. “I was five or six years old and he had this big old truck,” remembered Martinez, who will be a sophomore at Milwaukee’s Tenor […]

New certificate program enhances law enforcement training

St. Petersburg College (SPC) unveiled a groundbreaking initiative this week — the new Applied Mental Health Certificate for Law Enforcement program. The program equips law enforcement professionals and first responders with essential tools to navigate mental health issues within the community while managing the inherent stressors of their roles. The launch event for the program […]

Hospitality programming reconfigured for industry with strong regional future

At the height of the pandemic, hospitality management instructors for Dallas College fielded questions from doubtful students who seemingly saw their exciting career path disappear. “We were coming into one of the best years ever in 2019-2020, and overnight that changed,” said Sheila Hyde, Dallas College Culinary and Hospitality Department chair. “Students were asking what […]

New STEM courses taking flight at Missouri college

St. Louis is positioned to become the global center for geospatial technologies, largely due to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s 75-year presence in the area and its substantial $1.75 billion investment in a new headquarters currently under construction. This significant commitment has propelled the region to the forefront of the geospatial technology sector, creating abundant opportunities. […]

Program maximizes ROI for energy service company

“We make money when our equipment is running,” explained Daniel Castillo, training manager with Universal Pressure Pumping. “That’s why it’s so important to us to have well-trained diesel technicians. “We’ve been working with the diesel technology program at Midland College (MC) since 2016 to provide customized training to our Level 1 technicians. The training that […]

Battery job training comes to Michigan college

Henry Ford College (HFC) will offer one of the first battery technician certification programs in the nation. Earlier this month, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Southeast Michigan Community Alliance Workforce Intelligence Network (SEMCA WIN) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to announce the new certification program at HFC. The program was […]