The purpose of this study was to examine how placing students in youth apprenticeships can be used to impact the local skills trades gap. Placing students in youth apprenticeships impacts the local skills trades gap, and provides businesses with more skilled workers while providing a pipeline for local students. This study helps to align students'…

The Omaha STEM Ecosystem (OSE) is a multi-stakeholder collaborative network (MSCN) with active members from six key stakeholder groups (Business, Education, Family, Government, Non-Profit, and Science Centers and Museums). OSE serves as a connecting agency which leverages the social capital of these member stakeholders to address the STEM…

The need for a STEM literate workforce has presented a complex issue on both the national and local level. The Omaha STEM Ecosystem was established in 2016 as a connecting agency to leverage the social capital of member stakeholders in addressing STEM workforce gaps by strengthening the availability of STEM pipeline learning opportunities in the…

This study examined higher education workforce development practitioners' views on incorporating innovation ecosystems into workforce models to address U.S. workforce pipeline gaps and evolving labor market needs. While current programs have some success, they often fail to prepare graduates with knowledge and specific skills for rapid entry into…

Several factors contribute to the challenges community college leaders face in maintaining and sustaining noncredit workforce development programming. For example, these factors include funding reductions from state legislators and corporations using internal training departments for workforce development. There are community colleges that do…

Higher education and workforce systems have reformed over the last decade. These reforms are in response to an evolving economy, irregular political environment, a damaging pandemic, and declining enrollment in postsecondary education, and are an attempt to better prepare employees for new occupations and increased competition for students. One…

Workforce development is a critical part of successful community economic development initiatives. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, understand, and interpret local leaders' perceptions of workforce development through interviews with key stakeholders who held one of four specific staff roles, in two Georgia communities. A…

The United States is trailing competing nations in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education threatening the prosperity of our nation's most vital industries. Internationally, our students rank below other large or high-income economies in math and science assessments while interest and proficiency in STEM-related careers is…

The United States economy currently suffers a significant skills gap in its workforce, one that approaches crisis proportions. This skills gap (Christo-Baker et al., 2017; King et al., 2017; Laboissiere & Mourshed, 2017) will have profound effects on future U.S. economic growth and, by extension, on global economic growth. Researchers have…

Evidence today shows that there is a skills gap among employable young adults. This study was based on a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation that was conducted in a rural school district in northwest North Carolina. The study examined the perceptions of the program by CTE high school teachers, CTE community college instructors,…

The organizing ideal of educational equity in U.S. public schools, premised on ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to attain the highest levels of achievement, has most recently manifested as efforts by policymakers and practitioners to promote "college and career readiness". These efforts reflect the goal of maintaining…

Historically, community college missions have addressed both the transfer to 4-year colleges and universities, as well as local workforce development. To facilitate the workforce development component of their mission, community college leaders and program managers have regularly sought partnerships with significant industry members in their…

Various types of partnerships exist between community colleges and community agencies, groups, and organizations (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Community colleges partner with business and industry, non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and other educational institutions. One such partnership is between California community colleges and…

Since the 2008-2009 academic year, community colleges in the state of California have faced a budget reduction of 12%. This represents a reduction of $809 million in state appropriations. Despite the reduction in funding, the California Master Plan for Higher Education includes provisions for community colleges to develop quality workforce…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (Aud et al., 2013), only 10.6% of students who started at a two-year institution in the 2003-2004 year successfully completed a baccalaureate degree from a four-year institution within six years. Two- and four-year institutions are looking for new strategies to improve transfer student…