ERIC Number: EJ1092147
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1067-1803
EISSN: N/A
Beyond the Finish Line: To Ensure That Students Succeed in the Workforce, Community Colleges Strategically Partner with Local Employers
Woods, Bob
Community College Journal, v85 n4 p32-38 Feb-Mar 2015
The skills gap--the disparity between job openings and job seekers in an employment category--is wider in some sectors and parts of the country than others. The disconnect between community colleges and employers perpetuates the skills gap. Despite the current push among educators, politicians, and employers to increase completion rates, that laudable goal is often just the first step in either getting students into the workforce or advancing incumbent workers' careers. There is a growing recognition that workers need continuous education, both in an academic setting and on the job, which will help close the skills gap--and keep it closed. This article discusses how Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren, Michigan; Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), Florida; Global Corporate College (GCC) in Solon, Ohio; and Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) in Pendleton, Oregon, have refocused relationships with employers to discover the dominant needs in local economies, and then customized training programs to help close the skills gap.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Two Year College Students, Job Skills, Employment Qualifications, Education Work Relationship, School Business Relationship, Employers, Training, Industry
American Association of Community Colleges. One Dupont Circle NW Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-728-0200; Fax: 202-833-2467; Web site: http://www.aacc.nche.edu/bookstore
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida; Michigan; Ohio; Oregon
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A