25 mar States can expand and fund community college non-degree programs through revolving loansheres how
Shalin Jyotishi
This month, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the American unemployment rate is stubbornly stuck at 6.7% -- a rate that hasn't been seen since the 2008 financial collapse. Many of those jobs may not return as automation, digitalization, and cultural shifts transform the labor market. While a vaccine is coming, now more than ever, we need new strategies to get more Americans back to work in good jobs.
Indeed, liberal arts colleges, research universities, and community colleges are all embracing non-degree credential programs like certificates, industry certifications, payday loans Morristown on licenses, and apprenticeships. These programs can help equip learners with the skills they need to secure quality jobs without needing to invest the time and money into a traditional associate's or bachelor's degree-which isn't always necessary to secure a decent job.
In particular, community colleges have long been at the forefront of offering these flexible, employer-aligned non-degree credentialsmunity colleges serve many of the most economically vulnerable learners in the nation-- first-generation, low-income, Black, Latino, and Indigenous students from the working class. Many community college students are also non-traditional and above the age of 25.
- First, community colleges as a sector have been starved of financial investment from state and federal governments making it challenging to, for example, purchase the data analytics tools needed to understand the labor market needs, support the startup costs of the new program, and sustain the long-term operational costs.