ILPC 2027

 Workers have the greatest mobility power when their skill sets are sought after by multiple employers, particularly when applicable to a growth industry or in a tight labour market. In this scenario, workers can push for better compensation, benefits, and working conditions. However, when employers are able to demand skill sets that are specific to their worksites, or when the market is flooded with entrants, this source of worker power is diminished. For schools and training programs seeking to help students reach the job market in a position of strength, the challenge is to tailor skill development in a way that both fulfils student needs and provides skills multiple employers want. In this paper, we discuss two community college programs that seek to strike that balance, and we examine employer motivations for collaboration with the schools, strategies the colleges employs to advocate for their students, and implications for the power dynamic in these employment relationships.

US community colleges stand at the intersection of student and employer needs. With open admissions and low barriers to entry, they serve as affordable alternatives to four year schools and are known for serving non-traditional and disadvantaged learners. Originally developed as transfer institutions, many today offer a broad range of standalone training services and trade certificates in addition to two-year degrees. Unlike their four year college counterparts, leaders from community colleges are often actively involved in strategies to improve local labour markets and economies, ensuring that the training and education they offer directly translate to job placement.

In 2009, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program was launched to help community colleges expand their programs that could be completed in two years or less that would lead to high-wage, high-skill jobs. This public investment in workforce skilling ideally meets the needs of both workers and employers, enhancing workers’ mobility power by giving them skills sought after by multiple employers, and giving employers access to a skilled workforce that facilitates growth. Community colleges who have received these grants develop or refine programs in high-demand fields such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Most of the programs in the TAACCCT program directly seek employer input through advisory boards and other employer engagement strategies to ensure that the training they provide is in line with employer needs.

Using data from a research evaluations of two community college advanced manufacturing TAACCCT programs (one in a rural area and one in a densely populated US city), we examine how employers are engaged by colleges to ensure training pathways lead to employment, what employers get out of these relationships, and how colleges ensure that employer preferences do not outweigh the benefits of these programs to students. We utilize a mixed-methods case study design where each college is a case and draw upon in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with employers, program staff, and faculty. We find that employers have varying motivations for participating in advising these programs, but often cite the desire to find people who meet their skill needs as paramount. We also explore ways that the school staff seek to influence employers, from the selection of training equipment to working to create markets for the skills and credentials they are offering. We discuss implications for the power of workers and employers in these rural and urban markets.