At this moment, roughly 12 million Americans are unable to find work, with more than 40 percent of that number unemployed for six months or more. At the same time, current estimates put the number of job vacancies in this country at 3 million per month. The most popular explanation for this apparent paradox, the one put forth by former President…

In a recent essay in "Time" magazine, Dr. Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), underscored the need for community colleges to partner with industry to help close the skills gap and position students to meet 21st-century employment needs. Much attention is on small businesses, which have…

In his State of the Union Address in January, President Obama said he visited "many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can't find workers with the right skills." Not hard to imagine, considering the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that only one in every 18 workers in America currently works in a science, technology,…

When the going gets tough, the tough get...innovative. That's the approach some forward-thinking community college leaders are taking as their institutions set about the task of restocking the nation's workforce in the face of historic enrollments and severe, if seemingly unending, budget cuts. Recognized by the Aspen Institute as the most…

As community colleges focus on becoming more efficient and preparing more students for success in a climate of reduced state and federal funding, many institutions are reaching out to neighbors in business and industry, forming partnerships and working together to achieve goals that require money and resources colleges are unlikely to raise on…

Community colleges have long been destination No. 1 for American workers looking to upgrade their skills in search of new opportunities. In this article, the authors highlight how partnerships in three industries--automotive, biotechnology, and energy--are buoying efforts to support local economies. They discuss how business and nonprofit partners…

Enrollments are up across the board--a good sign for any college, particularly one that's only recently opened its doors--but enthusiasm is tempered by the reality of an impending budget crisis. Like most colleges, the situation is compounded by political pressure to increase the nation's graduation rate. Not that graduating students hasn't always…

The shortage of skilled labor and the consequent need for workforce training have become critical issues for American businesses in our fast changing, highly technical, and competitive, global economy. College contract training programs are one potential source for meeting the growing need for training. The purpose of this research was to develop…

Since the 1990s, federal programs for workforce training have aimed to transform the role of community colleges from narrow contract training to a broader role that encompasses strategic instructional program planning and innovation to support lifelong learning for a changing workforce and economic development (Jacobs & Teahen, 1996). Yet, to…

The economic downturn hit working America particularly hard, as agricultural, automotive, manufacturing, and retail jobs in many corners of the country all but evaporated. Consumers continue to cut back, and jobless rates in many states have eclipsed levels not seen in decades. Out of work and under pressure, many Americans are turning to the…

In recent years, "math and science" has been the mantra for many educators and business leaders who warn of an urgent need to encourage the pursuit of these and other technological disciplines or risk losing ground in the global economy. Simply emphasizing the need for "math and science" expertise does not, however, encourage innovation and fuel a…

In an attempt to better understand the need and importance of the community college's role in economic development, this article takes a closer look at how collaboration in the Juniata Valley of Pennsylvania between Industrial Development Corporations (IDCs) of Mifflin and Juniata counties, career and technical centers, and other agencies is…

As the nation works through a lingering recession, community colleges are pulled in two very different directions. On one hand is opportunity, as skyrocketing numbers of students--some right out of high school, others eager to retool old skills or immerse themselves in new job-enhancement training--beat a path to their doors. On the other is…

Many students recognizes the value of participating in an internship program. The experience benefits not only students and potential future employers, but colleges, too--not the mention the workforce. Internships often equip students with a competitive advantage over other job seekers. On-the-job programs not only allow students to discover the…

Access to higher education has always been a topic of contention. Currently, community colleges comprise the sector for open-access to American higher and postsecondary education; and so, they must align their missions to meet the needs of their increasingly diverse student populations. These two-year institutions originated to ensure access to…