Community colleges will be crucial to reviving the economy
Many students dropped out of college and career training programs, and they will need career paths.
By Joe May, Russell Lowery-Hart and Leigh B. Goodson
1:30 AM on Mar 7, 2021 CST
It’s tempting to believe once COVID-19 is contained, the U.S. economy will bounce back quickly, replenishing jobs and incomes lost in the pandemic. Yet, as presidents of community colleges that educate and train a substantial portion of the workforce, we have concerns driven by both recent data and historic perspective.
The data presents a significant early warning sign. When the labor market fully reopens, some high-demand jobs may be hard to fill even with millions of Americans looking for work. This is due to a copious drop-off in community college enrollments nationwide.