“Community college leaders welcome the administration’s interest in upskilling our nation’s workforce. In today’s economy, an ever-
increasing percentage of living-wage jobs require some type of postsecondary education. Community colleges play a key role in providing an accessible and affordable pathway to postsecondary education for millions of students.
“Our institutions strive to be nimble partners with business and industry as we prepare the workers of tomorrow. Hundreds of community colleges participate in public-private partnerships that create pathways to training and employment for our students. However, state and federal investments in these areas have declined. In most states, funding for higher education has decreased since the Great Recession. There have also been significant cuts to federal job-
training programs over the last decade, including the elimination of funding for the Community-
Based Jobs Training Grant program and the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant program. This presents challenges in scaling up innovative programs, and has often resulted in increased costs for students.
“People are our nation’s greatest resource, and we support efforts to bring greater attention to the connection between postsecondary education and training, and a strong economy. As the administration considers
plans to enhance job-
training opportunities,
ACCT encourages ample federal investments in this area. Additionally, we encourage the administration to ensure that any proposal considers how best to serve the broad range of individuals who would benefit from further postsecondary education and training. This includes addressing barriers to access and persistence.
“On behalf of the nation’s community college governing boards, students and workers, we are encouraged by the administration’s attention, and we look forward to further details regarding its proposal.”
J. Noah Brown
ACCT President & CEO
