Without a concerted, national effort to bolster the role of two-year institutions and expand access to them, the United States is in jeopardy of losing its status as an economic and global leader. That is the urgent message of a new study released Jan. 31 by the College Board’s Center for Innovative Thought. The study analyzes the function of community colleges in the context of the nation’s labor force and economic growth.
Dr. Sharon L. Blackman, Brookhaven College president, is one of the authors of the study that is titled "Winning the Skills Race and Strengthening America's Middle Class: An Action Agenda for Community Colleges." The report is being distributed to the presidential candidates and in the educational community across the country.
The study, conducted by the National Commission on Community Colleges, concludes that the United States must significantly increase the number of students who earn associate and bachelor’s degrees and calls for the president and Congress to take action in the form of a Community College Competitiveness Act, which would provide matching grants to states to support facilities’ construction and modernization. The Competitiveness Act is one component of the combined agreement the study recommends to national leaders, state officials and community colleges to make these institutions a priority and a national focus.
“Winning the Skills Race and Strengthening America’s Middle Class: An Action Agenda for Community Colleges” also calls for a national commitment to universal access to two years of education beyond high school.
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,400 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. The full report can be found online.
