By DUANE M. ELLING
Promoting access to quality education and training remains key to connecting low-income and low-skilled workers to living-wage employment. Jack Litzenberg, senior program officer with Mott’s Pathways Out of Poverty Program, discusses in the following Q&A the role of community colleges in helping these families succeed in the job market and build economic security. The interview was conducted by Mott Communications Officer Duane Elling.
Mott: How do community colleges “fit” into a workforce development strategy?
Jack Litzenberg (JL):
Workforce development is about helping people -- particularly those from underserved communities -- prepare for, find and maintain living-wage jobs. And as industries change and those jobs become more specialized, the workers needed to fill them have to possess advanced education and training.
For many low-income, low-skilled workers, community colleges offer a natural bridge to those goals. The schools are often centrally located and accessible by public transportation. Because they frequently attract non-traditional students -- older individuals, working adults, and so on -- community colleges are often adept at helping students find solutions to educational barriers.
Many such schools also offer two-year certificate programs in specific job sectors, such as healthcare or business. As a result, they’re experienced in preparing students -- within a relatively short period of time -- for careers in “demand” industries. And they can help students acclimate to the college environment, which can help them successfully transition later to a four-year school.
Given these strengths, community colleges have become important gateways to education and the labor market for many underserved families.
Mott: How does Mott’s grantmaking in the area of workforce development reflect this evolving role of community colleges?
JL: In 2003 we began funding the Opening Doors Demonstration. That multi-year, six-site program -- launched the same year by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation -- is exploring ways to help low-skilled students succeed in occupational certificate and associate degree programs at community colleges.
The demonstration is yielding some promising results. For example, at one of the sites, small groups of low-skilled students take two or three classes together during their first semester. They also receive specialized counseling and tutoring services.
Early findings suggest that the students participating in these “learning communities” may perform better academically than underserved students who start college without such a support system.
The possible connection to workforce development is clear: If a college student does well in the classroom, they’re more likely to stay enrolled. In turn, they’re more likely to earn their certificate and be ready to enter the labor market.
Mott: How else is this approach reflected in Mott’s grantmaking?
JL: One example is our support of the national Breaking Through Demonstration. This multi-year initiative, launched in 2005 by Jobs For the Future, seeks to expand the capacity of community colleges to help adults with low literacy and math skills succeed in professional and technical certification programs.
The demonstration is closely tied to the Foundation’s longstanding work in the area of sectoral employment. Those programs prepare individuals for work within a particular industry or “sector” by providing them with job-specific education and training. Many also offer a range of supportive services to help workers stay on their career path.
Breaking Through brings a similar focus to bear on occupational programs at the community college level. Among the strategies being explored are establishing links between academic programs to create multiple paths for learning; helping students successfully complete those programs more quickly; and providing comprehensive supports that will help students address barriers to their education and stay in school.
Mott: What else might the demonstration accomplish?
JL: As of July 2007, there are 26 community colleges -- including Mott Community College (MCC), located in the Foundation’s hometown of Flint -- participating in Breaking Through. In the coming years we hope to grow that number, creating more opportunities for greater numbers of low-skilled adults to enroll, succeed and graduate from occupational and certificate programs.
The demonstration will also support related research on these topics and share the findings with advocates and policymakers. Ultimately, that could inform state-level policies that promote greater educational advancement among low-skilled adults.
Mott: Could you tell us a bit more about the Flint replication of Breaking Through?
JL: MCC has been engaged in the demonstration for two years. The school’s primary goal is to pilot more efficient pathways for low-skilled adults to successfully earn degrees or certificates in four career areas: business management, healthcare, manufacturing and human services. If this pilot phase proves successful, MCC could implement these efficiencies in all of their certificate and degree programs.
In 2007 MCC was also identified as the “teaching school” for the recently launched Michigan Breaking Through demonstration. As such, MCC will provide outreach and learning activities on the Breaking Through approach to community colleges throughout the state.
Mott: How might this work with community colleges shape future grantmaking at Mott?
JL: I believe that community colleges will become increasingly key to our workforce development grantmaking. We’re currently looking at a new demonstration that will explore the formation of community-based partnerships between the schools and local nonprofit agencies. I believe that those collaborations, by expanding the available support services and outreach, will further increase the chances for low-skilled students to succeed.
We’ll also continue exploring the connection between community colleges and sectoral employment programs. And we’ll be mindful of new opportunities to help low-skilled, underserved families complete their basic education, enhance their skills and increase their earnings.
Additional Resources: