Dive Brief:
- A new partnership will unite community colleges in Seattle, New York City, San Antonio, and rural Kansas with an employer collaborative including major corporations like Boeing, MetLife, and Securian Financial Group.
- Inside Higher Ed reports that the College Employer Collaborative will work with online training company CorpU to develop course content for community colleges to incorporate into their programs, giving students the chance to earn marketable, stackable certificates.
- One challenge will be recruiting first-time college-goers for the programs, as the vast majority of similar training program participants already hold degrees and are looking for new careers rather than first ones, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
The Obama administration has called attention to the skills gap between what job-seekers have and employers need. Initiatives have sprung up with federal funding that specifically focus on the tech industry. Coding bootcamps have become particularly popular. Community colleges have traditionally responded to regional employer needs, and it's no surprise broader partnerships like the College Employer Collaborative are finding traction. The first two courses will cover advanced manufacturing and an introduction to the financial services industry.
In its announcement of the collaborative, Jobs for the Future called attention to 4 million unfilled jobs at a time when there are 11 million people unemployed, highlighting the fact that the skills gap applies across industries.
