$8B Community College to Career Fund proposed

From greenbaypressgazette.com: “$8B Community College to Career Fund proposed” — President Barack Obama called on Congress Monday to create an $8 billion fund to train community college students for high-growth industries, giving a financial incentive to schools whose graduates are getting jobs.

The fund was part of Obama’s proposed budget for 2013. The overall package aims to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade while boosting spending in some areas, including education.

Obama warned Congress that blocking investments in education and other proposals in his budget would be standing in the way of “America’s comeback.”

“By reducing our deficit in the long term, what that allows us to do is to invest in the things that will help grow our economy right now,” Obama said during remarks at Northern Virginia Community College.

The White House says the Community College to Career Fund would train 2 million workers for jobs in potential growth areas such as electronic medical records and cyber security within sectors such as health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing.

In Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College already works closely with local businesses to train workers in high-demand fields, college President Jeff Rafn said Monday.

“I think as a tech school, and really the Wisconsin technical college system, we’re somewhat ahead of the curve compared with other community colleges that may have more of a liberal arts focus,” Rafn said. “But I’m really pleased that the president is once again identifying the need to train our work force and the role community colleges and tech colleges can play, and that he’s indicated a willingness to invest in that.”

It’s too early to know how the president’s call might specifically affect NWTC, Rafn said.

A key component of the community college plan would institute “pay for performance” in job training, meaning there would be financial incentives to ensure that trainees find permanent jobs — particularly for programs that place individuals facing the greatest hurdles getting work. It also would promote training of entrepreneurs, provide grants for state and local government to recruit companies and support paid internships for low-income community college students.

Rafn worries that as a technical college, NWTC already may have in place initiatives the president might push.

“How does this help us, or are we already that farther ahead along? At this point, I just don’t know,” he said. “If he’s talking about programming with local businesses, we already have a lot. But I’m very pleased he’s trying, and I will always fight for our fair share.”

Obama said community colleges needs resources to become community career centers where students can learn skills that local businesses need immediately.