Jeannine LaPrad, managing director of policy and research at the National Skills Coalition, a research and advocacy organization focused on workforce training, said these misalignments could have major consequences for higher ed institutions, not just community colleges but regional four-year universities, as well, as they try to keep enrollments up.
“Their future, their livelihood depends a lot on how aligned they are with their local regional labor market,” she said. Offering nondegree credentials in high-demand fields satisfies employers but “also lines up with what students are looking for and why, which is access to a broad array of credentials and pathways that will help them get a livable wage.”
