The United States’ nearly 1,000 technical and community colleges have been providing skills-based, career-focused training to communities for over 100 years. It's imperative that higher ed pays attention to the needs of industry in order to fulfill this purpose.

What happens when those needs take a massive shift in a short amount of time?

The way we live, work and learn have all changed in the last two years. Some of these changes are due to technological advancement, and some are due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We've seen entire sectors slowing/shutting down and then reopening, individuals displaced and seeking skills in totally new industries, education transitioning online, a mass transition to remote work, and more technology-driven work than ever before.

How must community colleges adapt to these changes? 

We asked Dr. Bill Pink, President of Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan to talk on the future of work and the vital role technical and community colleges play. In part 1 of a two-part series, we discuss the two keys every community college must have in order to serve their region.

In this episode, Dr. Pink answers key questions, like:

• Why do relevance and responsiveness matter in higher ed?
• When it comes to determining curriculum, skills and competencies to teach, what's one huge mistakes many colleges still make?
• How did GRCC manage to have a higher summer enrollment than even pre-pandemic numbers?
• What should colleges do to promote better mental and physical health for students?
• Career ladder or career lattice: What do career pathways look like for today's students?
• What role do community colleges play in times of transition - from military to private sector, from high school to adulthood, etc?

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