Dive Summary:
- A new report issued Monday by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program suggests that strengthening STEM education at community colleges could bridge the skills gap in "blue collar" jobs like healthcare support, construction and advanced manufacturing.
- At Michigan's Grand Rapids Community College, Associate Dean of Operations Amy Koning says she often hears from employers looking for qualified applicants with STEM skills (53.6% of the area's STEM jobs require an associate's degree or less).
- The report's author, Justin Rothwell, cites the figure that only about a third of the nation's youth are getting four-year degrees, saying his intention is to encourage an alternate path for the other two-thirds, as well as adults who can't drop everything to go back to school.
From the article:
... Community college advocates said the report confirms what many have long known: jobs that require less than a bachelor’s degree are a key part of the economy.
“For all the engineering jobs that are out that require a bachelor’s degree, you have a number of other jobs that are like engineering tech jobs that are really well paid and do not require a bachelor’s degree,” said Adriana Phelan, vice president at the Michigan Community College Association. ...