Release event
THE INDISPENSABLE INSTITUTION
Taking the measure of community college workforce education
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
As the nation emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic and millions of Americans seek new skills to adjust to a changing labor market, a new survey fielded by Opportunity America, Lumina Foundation and Wilder Research explores the role of community colleges in providing fast, job-focused education and training.
All of the nation’s community and technical colleges were invited to participate in the survey. Some 38 percent – 477 institutions – replied, and their answers paint a vivid picture of colleges innovating and adjusting to keep up with a changing labor market.
A panel of distinguished educators and state education officials discussed why community colleges matter and how states can make the most their potential as the nation’s premier provider of workforce education and training.
SPEAKERS
Glenn Hubbard, dean emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School
Tamar Jacoby, president, Opportunity America
Harrison Keller, commissioner of higher education, Texas
Anne Kress, president, Northern Virginia Community College
Chauncy Lennon, vice president for learning and work, Lumina Foundation
Kim Hunter Reed, commissioner of higher education, Louisiana Board of Regents
Moderated by Paul Fain, founder and writer, Work Shift and The Job