Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree graduates often enter the workforce immediately upon graduation. This study examined the vertical transfer decision-making processes of these students as they considered whether to enter the workforce upon graduation or transfer to a four-year university in search of an applied engineering degree. The…

This paper describes digital transformation in Finland from the perspective of a mid-sized university of applied sciences in western Finland, outside the capital city area. Higher education institutions (HEIs) compete amongst themselves, both locally and globally, in terms of student and staff recruitment, government funding, and research funding.…

The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to investigate how a partnership between a rural community college in New Jersey and a manufacturer of emerging optics equipment reflected the regional networked innovation system, a type of regional innovation system. This single case study provided a comprehensive overview of the perceptions…

While diversity within the technology industry has been critical for developing robust and creative technology solutions, recruiting and retaining diverse tech talent in today's society has been a challenge worldwide, especially for Black learners and workers. Subsequently, the technology field is left lacking in diversity of thought and…

This research explores how COVID has impacted technology internships, including student and employer participation, satisfaction, and challenges; changes in the structure of internships; and impact on student employment outcomes. The roots of this study emerged in summer of 2021, as the authors were completing a three-year study funded by the…

This research is about how one community college preserved and strengthened their technology internships during COVID with commitment and creativity. Although the college, employers, and students faced technical, logistical, and supervisory challenges in maintaining technology internships through the pandemic, the college was committed to ensuring…

The gap between skilled workers needed and skilled workers available increased since the start of the fourth industrial revolution. Employees now need different knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the workforce and stay current with new technologies than they did in the past. One way this knowledge gap and skilled worker shortage could be…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) defines Non-Traditional Occupations (NTOs) as occupations where specific populations (i.e. one gender or a minority group) are traditionally underrepresented, comprising less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in them. Barriers associated with entry into NTOs can prevent these populations from accessing…

Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) provides a 6-year, career-focused program that combines high school and college coursework with real-world work experience. This report includes findings regarding demographic characteristics and academic outcomes of the students served by the program, highlights emerging topics from the student and teacher and…

Background: Radiologic technology programs train students to be entry level radiologic technologists. These programs have historically had a high rate of attrition. Students selected for the program usually fill a finite number of seats, and every student who fails to complete the radiologic technology program creates a vacancy. Every vacancy…

Associate degrees and credentials in Information Technology (IT) have the potential to open up high-wage and high-opportunity labor market opportunities for learners. Yet structural barriers in access to and completion of these degrees and credentials continue to make it difficult for Black learners and workers to access and thrive in these…

The buildings in which people work, live, and spend their leisure time are increasingly embedded with sophisticated information technology (IT). This article describes the approach of Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, Nebraska of the United States to provide an occupational context to some of their IT coursework by organizing IT…

Computer science (CS) programs offered at 2-year institutions are important, as they could significantly impact disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes (i.e., equity gaps) for Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, and low-income students. These groups have been historically marginalized in 4-year CS programs and often face…

The majority of students in the United States completing advanced technologies coursework, certifications, and AS/AAS degree programs within two-year colleges are adults with complex lives. They have to balance an array of challenges including health, children, and work. These school-work-life challenges can be informed by a body of knowledge…

The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program gives two year college educators leadership roles in developing model technician education programs for advanced technology fields. Since the first ATE grants were awarded in 1993, community college educators across the nation have partnered with industry and other…