Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, held last month for the first time since 2019 because of the Covid pandemic, gives attendees a glimpse at new car models and emerging auto technologies. This year’s show included exhibitors from automakers and universities, as well as Washtenaw Community College (WCC), which showcased its Ford Mustang Mach-E. Instructors […]
Skills Gap Articles
$1B Build Back Better Regional Challenge projects include community college partners
The Biden administration on Friday announced the 21 selected regional economic development projects that will receive funding through the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Most of the projects include state community college systems or individual two-year colleges among their partners. Funded by the American Rescue Plan and administered by the U.S. Commerce Department’s […]
New certificate helps students level up
Once a hobby exclusively for gamers, esports (electronic sports, also known as competitive video and computer game play) is evolving into a popular industry full of business and career opportunities. New for fall 2022, Rio Salado College in Arizona offers a certificate of completion in esports to meet demand in the esports industry. “The audience for […]
Partnering to bring smiles
Skagit Valley College (SVC) is partnering with Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (Swinomish) to launch the first dental therapy education program in Washington to address the ongoing oral health workforce disparities among underrepresented minorities, specifically the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The name of the dental therapy program is dəxʷx̌ayəbus, which is a Lushootseed phrase pronounced […]
Blending global outreach and the health sciences
A group of leadership and health sciences faculty from Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) recently visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines to explore service-learning study abroad opportunities for health sciences students in partnership with Trinity School of Medicine. In 2021, CGTC began a partnership with Trinity School of Medicine, whose main campus is located on […]
Meeting the demand for microcredentials
The demand for microcredentials is increasing. About 54% of U.S. employers surveyed in 2021 said they view microcredentials as extremely/very important, a report by Wiley Education Services and Future Workplace found. That’s compared with 20% of employers in 2019 who said it was something they would consider in place of a college degree when hiring candidates. At the […]
Recovery, refuge and new skills
Somerset Community College (SCC) has teamed up with a program that helps women recover from sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The collaborative project teaches 3D printing at Refuge for Women in Lexington, Kentucky, for its small business called Survivor Made, which creates candles, leather goods and jewelry. Taiber Glotz, 28, has gained new 3D printing […]
‘Life-changing’ program builds on participants’ strengths
For most of his life, John Beaulieu hardly spoke. Years ago, a neurologist diagnosed him as having a frontal lobe that didn’t develop all the way – and he struggled with human interaction. His mother, Cynthia Reed spent countless hours, days, weeks and months searching the Internet for a program that could help. Then came […]
Partnership creates truck driver training for refugees
Somali and Afghan refugees are getting the training they need to pursue family-sustaining wage employment through a partnership between Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) and the Hidden Talent Project from the Bay Area Workforce Development Board. The project is funded by more than $1.6 million from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development through the Worker […]
A central role in reducing K-12 teacher shortage
K-12 teacher shortages are a continuing and growing challenge throughout our nation. In Illinois, for example, the estimated shortage of teachers, substitute teachers and other staff positions in 2021 was 6,200, up from 4,800 in the previous year. Similar data are reported from many other states. It is not only an issue of quantity but […]