Community College Trustees Can Bolster Ties To Emerging Tech Hubs
Article/Op-Ed in Forbes
Brian Sharp / WXXI News
Oct. 3, 2024
Shalin Jyotishi wrote an article in Forbes about how community college trustees can strengthen ties with tech hubs to better prepare students for emerging job markets. He highlights the importance of aligning educational programs with tech industry needs to boost innovation and economic growth.
Industrial policy is back in the United States, and the community college sector is needed more than ever before. There has never been a more important time for community college trustees to understand and support their institutions’ contributions to science- and technology-based economic development, emerging technology sectors, and regional innovation ecosystems.
Scientific and technological innovation spurred by federal and private investments in R&D and economic development is catalyzing job creation, augmentation, and elimination nationwide. Community colleges will be critical to reskilling and upskilling incumbent workers, expanding pathways for young people beginning their careers, and meeting employers’ labor market needs in a way that also diversifies the workforce and the jobs that will comprise the future of work.
Community colleges have always been pivotal in providing accessible, affordable, and workforce-oriented career preparation in healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and transportation industries. However, all across the country, community colleges are also evolving to meet the workforce needs of the future of work – jobs and industries catalyzed and shaped by emerging technologies.