Leveraging Partnerships to Support Local Workforce Needs
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Working together, educational institutions can create more accessible and effective pathways for students to enter high-demand career fields. Dr. Margaret Terry Orr (1999) noted in her research-paper, “Community College and Secondary School Collaboration on Workforce Development and Education Reform: A Close Look at Four Community Colleges,” that an “increased emphasis on workforce preparation for our nation’s youth, particularly for mid-level and higher-skill development, requires greater postsecondary educational preparation, expanding the role of community colleges in school reform and school-to-work transition building.” Twenty-four years later, stakeholders are still seeing evidence of community colleges expanding their role in school reform, especially in the State of Missouri.
Originally published: June 27, 2023
Author: Larry Rideaux
Position: President
Institution: Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City
Published by: Diverse Issues in Higher Education