The purpose of education in any form can really be boiled down to one thing: opportunities including personal improvement, career advancement, increased income levels, and increased levels of personal satisfaction. Skills-based education, hiring, and even the creation of job listings are the future. What does that opportunity look like?
Community colleges traditionally were created to address the population of learners who pursued two-year degree programs, which often led to transferring into a four-year university degree. However, as global skills gaps have increased, the need to shift from a traditional student demographic and outcome, to one that meets the needs of lifelong learners seeking to re-skill or upskill to stay relevant, has become critical. Lack of funding and infrastructure created challenges for many community colleges seeking to pivot to meet this new demand.
