In a week when a government shutdown dominates headlines and political polarization seems irreparable, one invaluable sector has quiet bipartisan support in our nation: community colleges.
More than 1,000 of these colleges educate 10.5 million students across the U.S., training them for jobs that drive the economy in manufacturing, bioscience, cybersecurity, information technology, healthcare and more. Public, affordable, and accessible to local communities, these colleges are diligently building an agile workforce that serves the shared interests of both parties. Community colleges focus on short-term credentials and two-year degrees, providing opportunities to upskill quickly in vital areas of competition, serving students who need to move directly into the labor market, and workers already there who may need to upskill in technology or change fields.
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent celebrated the value of community colleges at a recent gathering of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Washington D.C., citing the $900 billion impact of community college students on the U.S. economy. Calling them “sound investments for taxpayers,” he echoed a common sentiment that stretches discreetly across party lines: community colleges are unique drivers of workforce development in the United States.
Captured in the report “America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age” by the departments of Labor, Commerce and Education, several initiatives already active in community colleges were lauded: apprenticeships, high-quality work-based learning models, partnerships between industry and educators, credit for prior learning and reliable transfer programs. These elements have been foundational to community colleges since 1947, when President Harry Truman called for a system of regional colleges to serve local needs in the post-WWII era. Educating workers for new careers boosted the middle class and trained workers who served industries’ need for innovation. It was a win for businesses, for workers and for the nation.
Community colleges today are poised at a similar crossroads. “America’s Talent Strategy” argues that “Agility must become a core design principle of the education and workforce system.” Community colleges are already filling talent shortages in priority industries such as health sciences, where they train nurses, phlebotomists, physical therapists and surgical technicians. In manufacturing, they produce machinists, supply chain managers and quality control inspectors. Community college grads work in bioscience labs, on cybersecurity teams and in IT departments — all jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and exist in every region of our nation.
In fact, community colleges were designed to be adaptable. A new AACC report out Wednesday, “Resilient by Design,” shows how these colleges respond to changes in labor markets by standing up high-quality training programs quickly, a feature that technology changes and artificial intelligence have made even more valuable in our current moment. With an increased push for domestic manufacturing and anxiety about U.S. competitiveness in science and technology, our nation is ripe for home-grown talent that serves industry needs efficiently, while empowering more workers. Community colleges continue to produce such opportunities across all regions of the nation, bringing a uniquely non-partisan lens to workforce development strategies.
As anchors for regional development, community colleges have spent almost eight decades educating students for local enterprise. Partnering tightly with businesses to fill their talent gaps, our institutions are now woven into the framework of local opportunity. As we build the nation’s civic infrastructure, we also serve as engines of opportunity and impact.
Even in moments where our differences dominate the public square, the opportunity for common ground exists — and is more than a vision. Deepening the impact of community colleges is an investment in our national economy and in the career trajectories of talented, ambitious workers. Innovative, adaptable and locally engaged, the mission of community colleges is rooted in the public interest. Perhaps this can be a powerful outcome upon which people on both sides of the aisle can agree.
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DeRionne P. Pollard, Ph.D., is president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges.
