- Gauging a better way to measure outcomes
- State allotment formulas for certain DOL workforce programs
- New program in affordable housing management
Gauging a better way to measure outcomes
A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond acknowledges the major role that community colleges in its service area play in workforce and economic development.
However, the report did note current federal reporting data for colleges don’t accurately capture the broad work of community colleges, especially in the area of noncredit programs. Bank researchers said they developed a metric to better gauge student success that it will test among 10 community colleges in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The bank will host an event in early August to discuss the results.
The report did give kudos to the colleges’ dual-enrollment efforts. The nine colleges in its pilot reporting data enrolled more than 11,700 high school students during the 2020-21 school year. Additionally, the colleges granted a total of 949 degrees, licensures or certificates to high school students.
State allotment formulas for certain DOL workforce programs
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has issued guidance to inform states and outlying areas about their formula allotments and the process to apply for certain programs for the start of the program year on July 1.
These programs include the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth Activities Programs’ allotments, the Wagner-Peyser Act’s Employment Service allotments and allotments for Workforce Information Grants.
New program in affordable housing management
California’s MiraCosta College this fall will launch a new, free program leading to a certificate of completion in affordable housing management, which will prepare students to enter the workforce at the management level in a quickly growing industry.
The college noted that new findings from the 2022 California Housing Partnership’s annual Affordable Housing Needs Report indicate trends that justify the need for the program. The study shows that the number of affordable housing units built in 2021 increased by 43% compared to the previous year.
“We have heard from our members who build affordable housing that there is a clear need for staff to manage and maintain these homes. These are good-paying jobs that benefit the communities that need career opportunities the most,” Stephen Russell, president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Federation, said in a release.
The certificate program was created through a collaboration between MiraCosta College and the San Diego Housing Federation, an advocate for more affordable housing. Two four-week courses are required to get a certificate of completion. Each course will be limited to 20 students, so learners can complete the certificate as a cohort, the college said.
