Variation in Community College Funding Levels: The Urban Institute recently published a report on varying levels of community college funding across the nation and the impact on historically underserved groups. Researchers discovered no evidence of systemic differences across the nation in state and local funding for community colleges that serve more Black, Hispanic and/or low-income students relative to other demographic groups. However, the analysts caution that equal funding may not be sufficient to ensure access and supports for all learners.
More findings and insights below:
- States that rely on local sources of funding for community colleges also have more funding overall.
- Some states intentionally change levels of funding based on factors like institution size, potentially leading to funding differences among demographic groups attending smaller versus larger institutions.
- On average, rural institutions receive over $1,000 more per student in state funding than urban and suburban institutions.
- About 44% of public undergraduate students attend community colleges, ranging from 24% in South Dakota and Montana to 67% in California.
Policy Changes to Maximize Community College Workforce Development: The American Enterprise Institute recently released a report that explores the role of the community college system by analyzing how successful institutions across the nation are fulfilling their workforce development potential. Researchers concluded that institutional effectiveness varies greatly by location and that more scaling and standardization of evidence-based practices is needed for improved student outcomes.
The analysts recommend a national framework that does the following:
- Mandatorily places community colleges at the center of state workforce development efforts.
- Enacts short-term Pell-eligible noncredit programs that provide learners with healthy earnings boosts.
- Invests in state offices similar to the , which focuses on compiling regional labor market and supply-and-demand trends.
- Publishes outcomes for noncredit programs.
- Further promotes work-based learning.
Career Navigation in a Time of Rapid Change: A report recently published by the Harvard Kennedy School analyzed the current practice of career navigation to set an agenda for a more equitable ecosystem that can lead to improved career and wage outcomes for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals. Analysts found that in 2019 approximately 53 million people in the United States were working low-wage jobs with median earnings of $24,000 annually and suggested solutions in which CTE plays a crucial role in changing the status quo.
The following list includes recommended best practices for a more equitable career navigation system:
- Increase access to stackable credentials, which can lead to a 20% increase in wages for working adults and can help narrow the middle- and high-income earnings gap.
- Increase access to American Job Centers, which provide assessment, coaching and service referrals and can lead to earnings growth of between 7% and 20%.
- Encourage corporate policies that support employee reskilling efforts to provide underrepresented workers with more open doors for upward mobility.
- Build community partnerships and develop trust with marginalized populations to co-create solutions with community leaders like the embedded career navigator program in Oakland, California.
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