Community colleges and the people they serve are the backbone of America’s workforce. The median earnings of associate degree completers were 18 percent higher than the median earnings of high school completers, creating increased economic mobility for student parents, first-generation learners, veterans and other adults.
The Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants Program (SCCTG) is a Department of Labor Initiative that provides resources to help institutions expand career pathways, build partnerships with employers and align training with real job demand. Thank you appropriators for maintaining the investments in this vital grant program.
Despite this positive move, continued effort is needed to support education and job pathways that will positively benefit students, workers and local economies.
To date, SCCTG has reached 207 colleges in 35 states, investing $265 millionin sector-based training. More specifically, SCCTG expands access through targeted investments in under-resourced colleges and regions, funding critical training needs in in-demand industries such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, construction, clean energy and more. The accelerated and flexible pathways made possible through SCCTG — like stackable credentials and hybrid learning to boost credential attainment — are critical for student retention.
For community colleges across the country, the SCCTG program reduces significant barriers to workforce training. “This grant means the difference between training registered health care providers or not in rural Missouri,” said Jon Bauer, president of East Central College in Union, Missouri. “The grant provided the critical resources needed to equip clinical labs, hire faculty, and train students while growing enrollment in a short period of time.”
With a rising demand for skilled workers at stake, we risk widening the skills gap in critical industries if we don’t continue to support this program. Additionally, rural and underserved communities will suffer because they are often the only institution that provides affordable education and job training in the area.
“The Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants Program is the only dedicated federal-level workforce funding for community colleges,” said Carrie Warick-Smith, ACCT vice president of public policy. “We must maintain and expand this capacity-building grant, which allows community colleges to lead the way for workforce development and middle-skill level jobs that require training without degrees.”
SCCTG is a program that works because it tackles the most pressing challenges head-on. It expands access by directing resources to under-resourced colleges and regions, ensuring more students — especially in rural and low-income communities can benefit. It also delivers faster employment by aligning curricula with employer needs, so graduates transition more quickly into good jobs. In return, employers benefit from a reliable pipeline of qualified workers, maintaining strong relationships with colleges. In addition, it boosts credentialing by helping colleges design clear, stackable, and flexible pathways that make it easier for students to complete their training.
Without skilled workers at the table, the U.S. risks slower economic growth at a time when we need more workers across high-need industries. At the same time, other nations are doubling down on workforce investments, meaning the U.S. could quickly lose ground in innovation, competitiveness and global leadership.
ACCT thanks appropriators for recognizing the value of SCCTG and urges them to not only protect but also expand SCCTG. This is not just a funding issue; it’s about opportunity and the future of work. As engines of the U.S. workforce, community colleges keep students and communities from being left behind.
Now is the time to invest in, not abandon, the programs that prepare workers, strengthen communities and secure our nation’s economic future. To learn how you can support SCCTG alongside other critical programs that support community colleges’ mission and lead to student success, please check out the resources that ACCT offers for community college leaders and supporters at https://www.acct.org/advocacy/action-center.
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