Gubernatorial candidates in most of the closest races have laid out their stances pertaining to issues related to community colleges. And some of the incumbent candidates have touted their accomplishments to date on behalf of two-year colleges and their students.
What follows is a breakdown of what the major-party candidates have to say in five closely watched states – two in the Midwest, two in the Southwest and one in the Southeast.
Wisconsin
Incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D) refers briefly on his campaign website to expanding job training and apprenticeship programs, noting that “College is a great option, but not always the best option for everyone.” That’s a common statement from politicians at all levels of government, typically referring to short-term workforce development programs provided by various institutions, including community colleges.
Evers says he will “continue to invest” in programs that provide “hands-on training for high-demand fields,” while also continuing to support initiatives that raise awareness among parents of teenagers, “ensuring that every student knows about the options available to them when they graduate high school.”
During Evers’ term in office, legislation has passed that makes numerous changes to how the state handles dual enrollment.
Challenger Tim Michels (R) has sections on his website about promoting career and technical education (CTE) and expanding apprenticeships. He believes that too many people who attend a four-year colleges or universities “find themselves saddled with a huge debt but without a meaningful career,” and notes that his company, Michels Corporation, hires many people straight out of high school.
“The state can take the lead in supporting programs aimed at such students,” his site says. “This would include expansion of CTE Technical Incentive Grants so all students can earn trade certifications.”
Michels says his administration will ensure that parents and students know their career options that require “only a technical school education, an apprenticeship in the trades or a certificate.” And he plans to provide added resources to high schools so they can offer dual credit – while mandating the University of Wisconsin and the state technical college system to accept dual credits for high-school coursework that otherwise meets their requirements.
Nevada
Incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) mentions two-year schools on his campaign website only briefly, but in a bullet point that lays out the ambitious goal of “investing in education and making community college and other workforce training programs free for more Nevadans by 2025.”
Legislation related to community colleges during Sisolak’s time in office has addressed dual-credit course cooperative agreements, revisions to dual-credit requirements, a pilot program for dual credit at College of Southern Nevada, changes to how apprenticeships work, and expenditures to encourage medical and dental practitioners to practice in underserved areas.
Challenger Joe Lombardo (R) shares a few thoughts on workforce development on his site, starting with the notion that “every student is different, and that students and families should be able to choose what educational opportunity works best for them.” Providing the range of opportunities should mean expanding vocational training and workforce development programs aimed at current and future jobs. Lombardo would work with the private sector and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to “establish robust workforce development and career training programs.”
Michigan
Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) notes on her campaign website that her administration has created two tuition-free skills training and workforce education programs aimed at providing Michigan businesses with skilled workers. The Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners programs have “put 170,000 Michiganders and counting on a path to good-paying jobs,” she says.
New legislation related to two-year colleges during Whitmer’s first term has addressed creation of a mental health apprenticeship program in addition to the aforementioned tuition-free programs.
Challenger Tudor Dixon (R) shares thoughts on her site about “upscaling” workforce training and emphasizing the trades. She says she would “expand public-private partnerships between the education system and the private sector to increase workforce training opportunities,” and also “create a state-level plan to expose more students to high-demand skilled trades and high-paying career opportunities.”
Georgia
Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) provides considerable information on his campaign website about his plans for K-12 education but does not appear to mention community colleges, technical or workforce education.
Legislation enacted since Kemp became governor in 2018 related to community colleges has addressed expansion of apprenticeship programs, waivers of tuition and fees for homeless students, and changes to dual enrollment.
Challenger Stacey Abrams (D) goes into fairly voluminous detail about her priorities and plans for the community college sector. She would like to “close the skills gap” by promoting successful adult literacy programs and developing employment skills in partnership with educators, employers and nonprofits. Abrams would “work with technical colleges, small businesses and unions to generate more than 20,000 additional apprenticeships in fields ranging from building trades and construction to coding and healthcare.”
Abrams also would provide “free technical college for all Georgians,” even “those with less than a stellar GPA or favored major,” for the purpose of providing career-focused, hands-on training in trades and technical skills. Further, she would ensure that all school districts can access career, technical and agricultural education programs, tapping U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to build students’ interest and high school programming in agriculture.
Abrams would pay for such initiatives through funding from Georgia’s need-based aid program, focused on underserved communities such as foster youth, students of color, disadvantaged youth, first-generation college students, disabled students, Dreamers, adult learners, veterans and military families. She would tap funds from the $1.05 billion state lottery reserve and supports a state constitutional amendment allowing sports gaming and casinos as a permanent revenue source for underwriting educational access.
Arizona
In this contest for an open seat, Republican candidate Kari Lake is proposing to create a statewide, dual-track education program for high school juniors and seniors focused on both traditional technical fields – such as construction, automotive repair, plumbing and welding – and “advanced programs” in coding, high-tech manufacturing, medical support, and laboratory sciences, among others.
Lake’s campaign website notes that recent growth of the high-tech sector has outstripped the supply of trained individuals, who are earning handsome salaries straight out of high school in some cases – and that the state’s population growth overall has boosted the demand for people in the building trades.
“My goal is to create a statewide system of these [technical academies], with a particular focus on rural Arizona, that will work hand-in-hand with business and industry leaders to ensure that every single student in our state has the opportunity to decide between pursuing a traditional four-year college track, or a technical degree field, after 10th grade,” she says.
Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs, who is currently secretary of state in Arizona, has an extremely detailed set of proposals on her website related to higher education and workforce development. She calls for a refundable tax credit for Arizonans pursuing CTE, working with community colleges and other entities to increase the pipeline for certain high-demand fields, creating more opportunities for high school students to earn free college credit, and improving access to community colleges and trade schools with greater funding.
“High school students should be exposed to different career opportunities as well as the paths they can follow to get there. Many of the in-demand and good-paying jobs are accessible to students who have an associate degree, a specialized program certificate, or completion of an apprenticeship program,” Hobbs says. “It’s time for our leaders to prioritize additional resources for Arizonans to earn certifications through community colleges, technological educational districts, trade schools and apprenticeship programs.”
Hobbs would create a statewide task force comprised of the business community and leaders in K-12 education, CTE, community colleges, industry certification programs and universities to address shortages in fields like teaching, counseling, social work, nursing, medical doctors, physician assistants and allied health.
Her campaign website also calls for expansion of dual and concurrent enrollment programs, especially in lower-income areas, to help students “save tuition dollars, more efficiently use taxpayer dollars, and provide a head start on their entrance into community college and the workforce.”
Finally, Hobbs proposes provided full “last-dollar” funding for the first year of community college for middle- and lower-income students that incorporates the full cost of attendance, as well as second-year funding for those with at least a 3.0 grade-point average and an approved career pathway plan. She also wants to establish a tuition reimbursement program for incumbent workers, using an employer tax credit to help pay for their employees to return to college and complete their degree or professional certification.
