2.3 3.3.24

Form 1: Industry Selection

Complete the following form.

Identify the industry in which the project will take place. Include the NAICS code and label (e.g., 453998 - All

Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers except Tobacco Stores). Also provide at least two paragraphs detailing why

you have selected the particular industry.

Educational Services – Community Colleges – NAICS Code 611210

Supporting Statement

Community colleges not only provide accessible education to individuals, they also address needs of society as a whole,

employers specific subsets of society. The current pandemic has highlighted both the advantages and disadvantages of

community colleges as well as the opportunities they can embrace.

According to the United States Census Bureau (2020), the country’s poverty rate is just over ten percent. Poverty in the

U.S. disproportionately includes minorities, young people, women, those living in the South, those with no high school

and/or no college, and those who either do not work or only work part-time. The United States Census Bureau (2020)

provides the following statistics:

• Race: Black (18.8%) and Hispanic (15.7%)

• Age: Under 18 (14.4%)

• Sex: Female (11.5%)

• Region: South (12%)

• Employment: Worked less than full-time, year-round (12%) and Did not work at least 1 week (26.4%)

• Educational Attainment: No high school diploma (23.7%) and High school, no college (11.5%)

Higher education, and community colleges in particular, can provide individuals a path out of poverty while addressing

the specific needs of each of the groups that experience disproportionate levels of poverty mentioned above. The

Alabama Community College System (ACCS) consists of 24 community and technical colleges and the State of

Alabama has a poverty rate in excess of the national average. I grew up in poverty myself and experienced, firsthand,

how attending a community college can serve as a springboard out of poverty and on to future successes. The community

colleges in Alabama operate within the confines of the ACCS and with limited resources and funding. There are a

number of institutions that would likely be willing to serve as an ADP partner organization and that could benefit from

doing so.

Identify at least five examples of organizations that occupy this segment of the marketplace. Select entities that

have great propensity for becoming your ADP partner organization.

• Drake State Community and Technical College: https://www.drakestate.edu/

• Calhoun Community College: https://calhoun.edu/

• Wallace State Community College: https://www.wallacestate.edu/

• Northwest-Shoals Community College: https://www.nwscc.edu/

• Northeast Alabama Community College: https://www.nacc.edu/

• Snead State Community College: http://www.snead.edu/

• Gadsden State Community College: http://www.gadsdenstate.edu/

• Bevill State Community College: https://www.bscc.edu/

• Jefferson State Community College: http://www.jeffersonstate.edu/

• Lawson State Community College: http://www.lawsonstate.edu/

INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANCE TO SOCIETY

Identify five benefits to society that are gained when the indicated industry is operating properly. Provide a topic

statement and then support your response with scholarly evidence in paragraph form. Properly cite paraphrases

and direct quotes per APA 7th edition.

As Mintz (2019) succinctly put it, “our society places immense burdens on community colleges” (para. 4). Community

colleges are responsible for economic development, workforce development, technical and vocational training,

community service, and human capital formation (Mintz, 2019). While burdens to the institutions, they are benefits to

society.

1. Preparation of Workforce That Protects and Cares for Citizens

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of and societal need for skilled health care workers

and first responders (JFF's Policy Leadership Trust, 2020). The American Association of Community Colleges

indicated that, for the 2018-19 academic year, 88% of all emergency medical technician certificates were

awarded by community colleges(Juszkiewicz, 2020). During that same time frame, community colleges

awarded 74% of associate degrees for clinical laboratory technicians and 70% of associate degrees for clinical

laboratory technologists (Juszkiewicz, 2020). Laboratory technicians and technologists are crucial to our well-

being and that fact has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic (Rohde, 2020). The majority of health

care workers are also trained at community colleges including 63% of allied health workers and almost 60% of

nurses (Kirkwood & Riegelman, 2011). Society benefits from the skills and availability of health care workers,

laboratory technicians, and first responders and community colleges play a substantial role in maintaining an

adequate supply of trained professionals as well as providing continuing education for those professionals.

2. Accessible Education

Community colleges account for over 40% of all undergraduate students, in part because they provide a path to

postsecondary education that may not otherwise be accessible. Ma and Baum (2016) identified several factors

that contribute to the accessibility of community colleges including open admission policies, low tuition, and

geographic proximity to home. These factors are particularly important to first-generation college students,

students from low-income families, and adult students seeking additional training or credentials (Ma & Baum,

2016).

3. Workforce Development

There is a growing need for individuals with an associate's degree or certificate rather than those with a

bachelor's degree (Adams, 2011). Sanburn (2017) notes that the value of an associate's degree is driven, in part,

by increased automation in the workforce, "making higher-level science, technology, engineering and math

skills critical in fields that once required little more than manual dexterity" (para. 8). Community colleges can

work closely with employers in their community on program development that can provide the specific skills

and knowledge needed.

4. Community Support and Development

Community colleges generally focus on the needs of their community, including students and employers. The

curriculum at community colleges is often designed with input from local employers and professional

organizations. This is particularly beneficial to the surrounding community and economy because the vast

majority of students who attend community colleges live and work in their local community after graduation. In

fact, “a student who attends a community college will stay within 300 miles of the college and 61% live within

50 miles of the college” (Sentz et al., n.d., para. 4).

5. Diversity in the Workforce

Workforce diversity can make businesses more effective, successful, and profitable (Shemla, 2018). Community

colleges can help supply businesses with a diverse workforce. Community colleges have very diverse student

bodies including the following enrollments:

• 51% of students identify as other than white

• 28% of students are age 30 or over

• 30% of students come from families who migrated to the United States

• 29% of students are parents (53% of those are single parents)

• 12% of students indicate having a disability (Kilpatrick, 2020)

Identify five hindrances to society that occur when the indicated industry is not operating properly. Provide a

topic statement and then support your response with scholarly evidence in paragraph form. Properly cite

paraphrases and direct quotes per APA 7th edition.

There are a number of reasons that community colleges may have difficulty functioning properly. Whether it’s caused by

poor leadership, lack of funding (particularly during a national economic recession), or lack of support, when community

colleges don’t operate properly, society as a whole pays the price.

1. Lack of qualified individuals to fill industry positions.

Community colleges in the United States educate approximately 40% of all undergraduates (Sanburn, 2017).

When community colleges don't function properly, it could lead to a significant shortage of skilled workers to

fill industry positions. If community colleges fail to collaborate with businesses in the community, they could

end up supplying workers who are trained and skilled in the wrong areas.

2. Unhealthy Society

An individual’s health can be linked to their education. The Center on Society and Health (2015) found the

following connections:

• Increased income results in access to resources for good health, including health insurance.

• Schools can teach social and psychological skills that benefit health.

• More education means more understanding of health needs and an ability to communicate and

advocate for themselves.

• Increased income means better neighborhoods that offer more and better resources for good health.

3. Impact on the Economy

Educated citizens support the economy by earning higher incomes and paying higher taxes. Economic Modeling

Specialists International (2014) found that workers who were educated at community colleges contributed

additional income of $806.4 billion to the national economy. In order to realize that additional income and

resulting taxes, community colleges must function properly. Without proper functioning, the economy would

have a significant loss from the education segment income.

4. Societal Costs

Educated citizens are found to commit fewer crimes and utilize fewer government benefits including welfare,

unemployment, and health care. When community colleges don't operate properly, greater burdens are placed on

public assistance programs and the criminal justice and health care systems. Economic Modeling Specialists

International (2014) found that workers who were educated at community colleges provided society with an

additional $46.4 billion in social savings. A less quantifiable cost to society is the lack of civic engagement that

results from a less educated population. When community colleges don't operate the way they're intended, the

loss and costs to society and our democracy can be significant.

5. Income Gap and Poverty

There are many factors that impact the cycle of poverty for families and education can help break that cycle but

comes with its own complications. First-generation students are more likely to attend a community college than

a four-year university or private college and they are more likely to choose careers that allow them to give back

to their communities (EAB, 2018). First-generation students have a potential to break their own cycle of poverty

and to help those in their communities. Without properly functioning community colleges, many students,

particularly first-generation and low-income, will not have easy access to the tools needed to make those

systemic changes.

References: List the references for all citations. A minimum of seven sources are to be cited. Properly reference

cited sources per APA 7th edition, listing them in alphabetical order.

Adams, C. (2011). New popularity challenges nation's community colleges. Education Week, 30(34), 14-17.

http://www.edweek.org/

Castonguay, A. (2020, August 6). Advantages of community colleges during COVID-19. U.S. News & World Report.

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blog/articles/2020-08-06/advantages-of-community-

colleges-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

Center on Society and Health. (2015). Why education matters to health: Exploring the causes.

https://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-the-causes.html#

EAB. (2018, December 11). 7 fast facts about your first generation students. https://eab.com/insights/daily-

briefing/student-affairs/7-fast-facts-about-your-first-generation-

students/#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20first%2Dgen,for%20Education%20Statistics%20(NCES).

Economic Modeling Specialists International. (2014). Where value meets values: The economic impact of community

colleges. https://www.luminafoundation.org/files/resources/usa-agg-mainreport-final-021114.pdf

JFF's Policy Leadership Trust. (2020, June 8). Five reasons why community colleges are key to our COVID-19 recovery.

Practitioner Insights for Recovery. https://www.jff.org/what-we-do/impact-stories/policy-leadership-trust/five-

reasons-why-community-colleges-are-key-our-covid-19-recovery/

Juszkiewicz, J. (2020, September 19). Washington watch: Community colleges' role in preparing essential workers.

Community College Daily. https://www.ccdaily.com/2020/09/community-colleges-role-in-preparing-essential-

workers/

Kilpatrick, S. (2020, July 27). A quick rundown of community college diversity statistics. EVERFI.

https://everfi.com/blog/higher-education/community-college-diversity-statistics/#

Kirkwood, B. A., & Riegelman, R. K. (2011). Community colleges and public health: Making the connections. American

Journal of Preventive Medicine, 40(2), 220–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.10.021

Ma, J., & Baum, S. (2016). Trends in community colleges: Enrollment, prices, student debt, and completion. The College

Board. https://research.collegeboard.org/pdf/trends-community-colleges-research-brief.pdf

Mintz, S. (2019, March 9). Community colleges and the future of higher education. Higher Ed Gamma.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/community-colleges-and-future-higher-education

Rohde, R. (2020, April 22). Beating pandemics like COVID-19 requires more medical laboratory professionals, this

virologist explains. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/04/22/beating-pandemics-like-

covid-19-requires-more-medical-laboratory-professionals-this-virologist-explains/#c80e9cc6e326

Sanburn, J. (2017, June 12). The case for community college. Time. https://time.com/4800811/the-case-for-community-

college/

Sentz, R., Metsker, M., Linares, P., & Clemans, J. (n.d.). How your school affects where you live. Emsi -

economicmodeling.com. https://www.economicmodeling.com/how-your-school-affects-where-you-live/

Sentz, R., & Stout, K. (2018, November 13). Community colleges' crucial role in powering local economies. Governing:

The Future of States and Localities. https://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-community-colleges-vital-

role-powering-economies.html

Shemla, M. (2018, August). Why workplace diversity is so important, and why it's so hard to achieve. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rsmdiscovery/2018/08/22/why-workplace-diversity-is-so-important-and-why-its-so-

hard-to-achieve/#3b947ca83096