A lot of ink has been spilled over the skills gap - the space between skills those seeking work have and those hiring want. There’s a simple solution to this problem: community colleges.
All community colleges should be funded at a level to make tuition free or nearly-free for anyone, especially those who are taking vocational classes. The government can be involved, but businesses should also be encouraged to invest in their area’s community colleges, both to create stronger ties to their communities and better access to this potential workforce.
Problems to be Solved
- checkThere is a skills gap between skills needed for open positions and skills possessed by those looking for work
- checkCommunity colleges, though cheaper than other options, still present significant expenses for students trying to gain skills
- Community Colleges have the potential to be the great equalizer. Their costs are low and their students are exactly the kind of people who want to enter the middle class. Many students are balancing their studies with full-time jobs. We should invest in our Community Colleges to make attending them cost-free or nearly so as an elevator to the middle class.
Goals
- checkMake vocational classes through community colleges free or nearly free
As President I will...
- Work to fund community colleges to a point where they can provide free (or drastically reduced) tuition to anyone from the community (especially those taking vocational classes)
- Expand what classes are defined as vocational classes, especially in IT and computer science fields
- Work to create tax incentives for businesses who invest in their local community colleges and provide co-working opportunities