Over its 100-year plus history the community college has struggled to make clear its mission. As a comprehensive community college its mission has bounced around to focus on liberal arts, developmental, workforce, community, and general education. In today's increasingly competitive society with shifting values and changes in power it is likely…

This study explored the impact of a seven-college consortium called "Credentials to Careers" (C2C), which was created to foster innovative programs to retrain unemployed and displaced workers for STEM, advanced manufacturing and health-care-related careers, on students' self-efficacy. Using the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, we…

Discussions of workforce development emphasize stackable training, and assume linear advancement and alignment, through college and career paths. Stackable credentials have become a best practice for community colleges across the United States as they struggle to advance the college completion agenda and ensure that students graduate with the…

The demand for improved workplace skills in the U.S. is rapidly rising, and U.S. industries, employees, and educational systems are struggling to respond. This paper describes the Skills Advantage program, an effort led by employers and facilitated by Kirkwood Community College to address regional employment needs. This work-ready certificate…

Educational, industry, and state leaders worked together to design a program to meet the training needs of Nebraska's fast-growing ethanol industry. The statewide initiative, guided by Northeast Community College and funded through the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants program, is developing dual-credit, short-term training that…

The community college has always played an integral role in job training but never more so than following the 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) that significantly increased the community colleges' opportunity to join with others in the provision of job training services. With this, however, came demand for high levels of collaboration between…

Discusses the Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC) at Bay de Noc Community College (Michigan), which was created to alleviate a local skilled worker shortage. Employers have responded well to the M-TEC program, which offers customized, technical training at times convenient to students. An 89% increase in number of workers trained was seen…

The 2004 State of the Union address included an announcement that $250 million was being allocated to community colleges for workforce development programs. This indication of support was good news in light of the recent trends for level funding or cutting back on educational programs, and demonstrates the perceived benefits of workforce…

Discusses the Working Connections Program, a program funded by Microsoft Corporation and administered by American Association of Community Colleges. Describes the program as being created to assist community colleges in the development and implementation of information technology (IT) programs that are designed to train skilled IT workers. (NB)

Describes the establishment of North Carolina's community colleges, indicating that providing education, training, and retraining for the workforce has been the foremost component of their mission since their inception. Considers current trends affecting the colleges, including an emerging emphasis on readiness for global competition and funding…

Discusses community college involvement in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS) as an example of how federal and state workforce policy impacts publicly controlled institutions of higher education. Discusses the challenges faced by JOBS in an era of devolved responsibility for funding from federal government to states.…

Describes the formation of Mississippi's community college system, indicating that it is the largest single sector of the state's postsecondary education system. Reviews the colleges' role in workforce training and economic development and their provision of advanced technology centers and distance learning. Discusses the future of the system. (27…

Reviews the history of two-year colleges in Alabama, arguing that the colleges lack a focus on mission and purpose and have not generally met the state's need for a technically trained workforce. Describes initiatives of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, formed to develop linkages between colleges and industry. (AJL)

Reviews the history of Massachusetts' 15 community colleges, from the first initiative in 1958 through the present. Outlines the colleges' purposes, responsibilities, and actions, and describes their finances, accountability, and governance. Discusses labor force development for high technology occupations, asserting that the colleges' training…