The Seven Most Important Changes Community Colleges Can Make To Close California’s Skills Gap

by Amalia Kaufman


Aligning secondary and postsecondary pathways is key! @OCpathwaystrust #careerpathways @OCDeptofEd @SaddlebackColl ‏@WorkforceVan

California faces a confounding juxtaposition (one shared with most other states): thousands of unemployed or underemployed workers living side-by-side with thousands of unfilled jobs.

The great chasm between the two is the skills gap; available workers don’t have the skills that employers need. The gap is wide in California today and isn’t showing signs of narrowing, as projections say that by 2025, 30 percent of all job openings in California (a total of 1.9 million jobs) will require some type of middle-skills training—postsecondary education short of a four-year degree—and the state is expected to fall one million short. We’re not keeping pace, and our residents, companies and economy are at risk.

To address this shortfall in middle-skills workers, the California Community College Board of Governors sponsored the Task Force on Workforce, Job Creation and a Strong Economy, a collection of industry, labor, workforce and economic development, and education representatives. Through extensive input of stakeholders around the state, we uncovered seven broad areas that our college system can address to help close our skills gap.

Read full article here:

http://evolllution.com/revenue-streams/workforce_development/the-seven-most-important-changes-community-colleges-can-make-to-close-californias-skills-gap/?platform=hootsuite

Share