To Close Middle-Skills Gap, Improve Community College Outcomes

Autor/in	Salomon-Fernandez, Yves
Titel	To Close Middle-Skills Gap, Improve Community College Outcomes
Quelle	In: New England Journal of Higher Education, (2014) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1938-5978
Schlagwörter	Community Colleges; Outcomes of Education; Accountability; Economic Factors; Wages; Postsecondary Education; Grants; State Aid; Low Income Groups; Public Colleges; Incentives; Costs; Pilot Projects; Program Evaluation; Program Effectiveness; Labor Force Development; Job Skills; Employment Qualifications; Two Year Colleges; Certification; Massachusetts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Community college; Community College; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Verantwortung; Ökonomischer Faktor; Wage; Löhne; Post-secondary education; Tertiäre Bildung; Grant; Finanzielle Beihilfe; Anreiz; Cost; Kosten; Pilot project; Modellversuch; Pilotprojekt; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Arbeitskräftebestand; Produktive Fertigkeit; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; Abschlusszeugnis; Zertifizierung; Master-Studiengang
Abstract	For southern New England, the middle-skills gap is projected to become acute by 2020, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Historically and currently, the middle-skills labor pool in Massachusetts has been significantly below national rates and has been recently experiencing a decline. Closing the middle-skills gap depends on improving community college outcomes. Improving the outcomes of community college student outcomes is not just a taxpayer accountability issue; it is an economic imperative of the state. While some may make the argument that college is not for everyone, Massachusetts is a knowledge-driven economy requiring some postsecondary credential to make a family-sustaining wage in positions that offer a career ladder. One option that the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education launched is the Completion Incentive Grant Fund which targeted low-income, first-time degree-seeking students at the state's public higher education institutions and provided them with a cash incentive intended to help defray some of the costs of books if the students completed between 9 and 15 credits. The program is in its final year being run as a pilot, and evaluation data are being collected to measure its effectiveness. Closing the middle skills gap in key industries that underpin the New England economy is both a short-and long-term necessity and community colleges provide an existing structure for preparing the labor force to close the gap. The challenge ahead for business and industry, higher education and policymakers is how to raise community college student outcomes in ways that are scalable and sustainable and that address the root cause of the problem. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	New England Board of Higher Education. 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-357-9620; Fax: 617-338-1577; e-mail: info@nebhe.org; Web site: http://www.nebhe.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10