In the decade since Redesigning America’s Community Colleges was published, we have had the privilege of studying the efforts by community colleges nationwide to implement whole-college reforms based on the guided pathways model it proposed. We know from this research that enacting these reforms is multifaceted, challenging and time-consuming. Why, then, should community colleges and state systems commit to the considerable investment of time and resources to make these reforms?
First, the need for the education and training opportunities that community colleges provide continues to grow across the country. Although the public at large is markedly skeptical about the value of a college degree, research shows that education beyond high school is essential for securing good jobs that pay living wages and offer real prospects for career advancement.
Excerpted with permission from More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success, by Davis Jenkins, Hana Lahr, John Fink, Serena C. Klempin and Maggie P. Fay, August 2025, published by Harvard Education Press. There’s more information here.
Short-term skills training is important to help underemployed workers gain a foothold in a field and keep incumbent workers current with new technologies. But broader education is still essential. It is as valuable as ever in today’s workplace to teach students to communicate effectively, to think critically and creatively, and to adapt to changing technology over the long term.
As discussed in chapter 2, public and private investments in infrastructure, a reduced-carbon economy, advanced manufacturing and technology more generally are projected to create strong demand for skilled technicians — jobs that tend to provide living wages and a good future career path. To prepare workers for these jobs, community colleges must expand and diversify career-technical associate and bachelor’s degree, apprenticeship and pre-baccalaureate transfer programs, particularly in healthcare, information technology, engineering, and industrial and construction technologies. To meet other needs of their communities, colleges also need to expand programs in education, public safety and social services.
Pole position
Second, community colleges are well-positioned to meet this demand. Although they face strong competition from public four-year colleges and online education providers, community colleges have long offered small classes taught by faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and supported by staff committed to providing the added supports often needed by students poorly served by their previous education.
Community colleges also have the competitive advantage of being able to work closely with local employers, universities and economic development groups to develop and offer programs that lead to good jobs in demand in their regions and to partner with K–12 schools and community groups to recruit current and future workers into those programs.
Broad support
Third, in an otherwise divisive political environment, state and national policymakers continue to show strong bipartisan support for affordable education and training that enables students to secure career-path employment and that supplies talent to meet workforce needs.
Fourth, and finally, since Redesigning first outlined the guided pathways framework for community colleges in 2015, we and the field have learned a great deal from early adopter colleges and state systems about how to more effectively and efficiently implement these reforms for the benefit of students.
The Community College Research Center has developed an array of guidance materials and tools based on our research to help colleges implement guided pathways reforms. We frequently offer conference presentations, webinars and online and in-person workshops on implementing various aspects of the reforms supported by our research. Nationally, numerous other organizations not only conduct applied research but also provide technical assistance to colleges and state systems and advocate for policies that improve student outcomes.
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Davis Jenkins is a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center (CCRC), Teachers College, Columbia University, and a research professor in education and social policy analysis at Teachers College. He is the coauthor of Redesigning America’s Community Colleges.
Hana Lahr is assistant director of research and director of applied learning at CCRC.
John Fink is a senior research associate and program lead at CCRC.
Serena C. Klempin is a CCRC research associate.
Maggie P. Fay is a senior research associate a CCRC.