Community college career and technical education (CTE) represents one potential way in which students can receive important postsecondary education and training. Yet, existing research suggests rural community college students experience stratified access to CTE. Using a joint human capital theory and geography of opportunity theoretical…

The problem to be addressed by this study is that Maine's workforce is facing a significant shortage of skilled labor which is impacting the sustainability and growth of Maine's economy. The shortage of skilled workers extends from trades to medical professionals and is worsened by Maine's unique demographical and geographical factors. In response…

The Sustainable Development Goals link access to higher education, particularly for non-traditional populations, as a way to fight poverty and ensure prosperity. This article examines the experiences of several under-researched categories of non-traditional students who attend Community Colleges and Technical Vocational Education and Training…

This book examines access, lifelong learning and education for all, which have been policy preoccupations in all countries for more than half a century, but have been overlaid and pushed aside by the development of mass higher education. The authors examine what has been achieved, what lessons have been learnt and what still remains to be done,…

Young adults today are the least happy demographic group, departing from a long-established U-shaped relationship between life satisfaction and age in many countries worldwide. The longstanding U-curve reflects the unhappiness and stress that most people experience in the midlife years as they juggle financial and family constraints while both the…

Across the United States a significant number of individuals find themselves incarcerated each year. For the state of Florida, this number represents one of the highest in the country (Carson, 2021). Prior research has indicated that incarcerated populations across the country tend to have a lower literacy level and less education experience than…

The concept of new vocationalism reached its height in the 1990s and 2000s as views evolved regarding how community colleges should provide relevant vocational education for students. The concept of new vocationalism is here brought into the present moment by mapping theoretical lineages and emphasizing the current and future practical…

The present paper investigated how inclusive vocational excellence (IVE) practices specific to vocational education and training (VET) can be described in an effective and transparent manner. A framework for the description of such practices was proposed, and then 44 descriptions of practices were collected with this framework from an…

Advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence and robots are steadily replacing jobs in the USA. Continuous skill-upgrading and re-skilling are critical for workers to remain employable throughout their careers. In these social and economic contexts, community colleges play significant roles to provide workforce education and training…

Advancing technology such as artificial intelligence and robots is steadily replacing jobs in the USA. Continuous skill-upgrading and re-skilling are critical for workers to remain employable throughout their careers. In these social and economic contexts, community colleges play significant roles to provide workforce education and training…

Pathways to higher education can appear opaque and unattainable to rural adults, despite the affordances provided by modern broadband and increasing provision of university online learning options. This paper describes an innovative partnership model that connects rural adults to university and technical and further education pathways through…

As statewide college promise programs continue to develop, emerging equity concerns necessitate interrogating whom programs benefit and how expense funds can be applied. Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) is used in this chapter to understand how statewide promise programs advance or hinder racial equity across eligibility and financial aid support…

The Postsecondary Pathways for Former Foster Care Youth (PP-FFCY) study is a research project that focuses on the transitions of foster care alums to and through postsecondary institutions. Through the Ofice of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL), the PP-FFCY project team is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment report that:…

Postsecondary education and career training is increasingly important, with growing polarization of the labor market and forecasts for increasingly skilled workers to meet the needs of the US economy, particularly in California. Additionally, gaps between various student groups in educational access and attainment continue to persist despite…

Since its introduction in the early 1900s, the codification of vocational education has made explicit that one purpose of the American public education system should be preparation for the workforce. Over three-quarters of high school students participate in present-day career and technical education, nearly half of undergraduate degrees conferred…