Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 1
Community Colleges and Their Unique Opportunity to Bolster the Labor Market: Journal
Analysis
First Name, Last Name
School of Education, Liberty University
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 2
Abstract
While community colleges have historically been overlooked for funding when compared to
traditional four-year universities, community colleges have a lot to offer their surrounding
communities and overall labor market. Community colleges provide technical skills and hands
on educational experiences that fulfill many businesses’ immediate hiring needs. Community
colleges are uniquely positioned in a way that can bolster the country's workforce development
while providing organizations with the critical and technical talent they need now. Community
colleges create a pathway for students to gain certificates and quick entry into the labor market
while allowing for a diverse student population due to the more affordable tuition and flexible
class scheduling. This, in return, produces a more diverse labor market. With this being noted,
there are varying perspectives and ideas regarding community colleges and their effectiveness.
Community colleges have an affordable cost of tuition compared to traditional four-year
universities. Community colleges also offer flexible schedules that support non-traditional
student’s schedules and give students an opportunity to explore major options. In addition,
community colleges typically offer smaller class sizes and hire qualified professors. The
environment is effective and efficient for transitional students. On the opposing side, community
colleges have been said to have limited curriculum, a less effective workload, uninvolved
students, and a lack of a campus life. These perceived drawbacks can lead to misleading
perceptions of the validity of community colleges and their effectiveness in training and
bolstering a labor force. Is the training effective? Is the curriculum and training quality work?
The idea of community colleges sounds great, but do they really have the potential to bolster an
entire community’s workforce? This journal analysis will compare three scholarly journal
articles with different points of view on this topic/issue.
Keywords:
Community, colleges, higher, education, labor, market, compare, contrast, analysis
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 3
Community Colleges and Their Unique Opportunity to Bolster the Labor Market: Journal
Analysis
While community colleges have historically been overlooked for funding when compared
to traditional four-year universities, community colleges have a lot to offer their surrounding
communities and overall labor market. Community colleges provide technical skills and hands
on educational experiences that fulfill many businesses’ immediate hiring needs. Community
colleges are uniquely positioned in a way that can bolster the country's workforce development
while providing organizations with the critical and technical talent they need now. Community
colleges create a pathway for students to gain certificates and quick entry into the labor market
while allowing for a diverse student population due to the more affordable tuition and flexible
class scheduling. This, in return, produces a more diverse labor market. With this being noted,
there are varying perspectives and ideas regarding community colleges and their effectiveness.
Community colleges have an affordable cost of tuition compared to traditional four-year
universities. Community colleges also offer flexible schedules that support non-traditional
student’s schedules and give students an opportunity to explore major options. In addition,
community colleges typically offer smaller class sizes and hire qualified professors. The
environment is effective and efficient for transitional students. On the opposing side, community
colleges have been said to have limited curriculum, a less effective workload, uninvolved
students, and a lack of a campus life. These perceived drawbacks can lead to misleading
perceptions of the validity of community colleges and their effectiveness in training and
bolstering a labor force. Is the training effective? Is the curriculum and training quality work?
The idea of community colleges sounds great, but do they really have the potential to bolster an
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 4
entire community’s workforce? This journal analysis will compare three scholarly journal
articles with different points of view on this topic/issue.
Operational Costs Associated with Economic Workforce Development Programs - Article
One
Community colleges offer quick entry into the workforce. Higher education, specifically
the higher education taught at community colleges, has a unique opportunity to embrace the
needs of this labor market. The labor landscape is changing, working conditions are changing,
and employees and students are demanding more. Community colleges can aid in the reskilling
and upskilling of individuals who have left their careers or students who are about to enter
today’s labor markets. Community colleges have an opportunity to closely partner with
businesses and organizations to create talent pipelines through apprenticeship programs and
ensuring the curriculum being taught in class is relevant to the critical technical skillsets needed
in today’s corporations and businesses. Community colleges have an opportunity to “start
designing online short courses, stackable certificates and programs that can lead to a relevant
degree. Of course, the programs should offer the kind of flexibility that these prospective
students desire. They should feature universal design principles that serve all students.
Remember that many of these adults have resigned their jobs in part to escape the rigidity and
lack of prospects for advancement at their former places of employment” (Schroeder, 2021, para.
9).
Fletcher (2017) offers a caveat to this argument, however. “Economic workforce development
programs, for example, are experiencing changing demands from the community (e.g., intra-
institutional competition), shrinking government support, a debate on function/purpose, and
escalating competition from the for-profit sector (e.g., supply-side
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 5
competition). The aforementioned forces are affecting the sustainability of economic workforce
development programs at community colleges. The high-cost and sustainability concerns of
economic workforce programs are a problem that necessitates a policy response” (Fletcher, 2017,
para. 3). Fletcher’s stance argues the point that although the nation is facing a variety of
workforce demands, simultaneously, it is increasingly important that the nation provides a
flexible and responsive workforce system and technical training programs to remain competitive
in a global economy. With that comes a high cost-association, though. One that must be
supported through proper funding and community acknowledgment. The journal adds, “Another
challenge is the question and confusion over what skill-training employers actually want their
employees to have. The business community does not communicate well with a single voice.
Some prefer short-term job training and workforce development versus longer-term certificate
and associate degree programs. Mixed signals from the business community complicate the
policymaking process” (Fletcher, para. 5).
Community College Workforce Development Programs: Cost and ROI – Article 2 The
pandemic of COVID-19 has flipped America’s labor market and higher education system on its
head. The nation continues to pivot and recover from the devastating effects that continue to
unfold. Individuals are placing a higher importance on their families, mental health, self-care,
and are pursuing their passions over careers that simply provide stability. The stability many
careers once provided disappeared considering the pandemic and people have begun shifting
their focuses. An influx of non-traditional students has re-entered the community colleges and
their accompanying technical programs to upskill and reskill so they can pursue a second career
(one in which they feel more secure in). A journal article titled, Career Technical Education
and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence, argues the return on investment for students
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 6
graduating from community college workforce developments is not adequate or equal to the cost
and time it takes the student to complete the program. The talents produce may improve the labor
market, but do they improve the student’s quality of life?
This article specifically analyzes if the community college graduates make more money
upon completion of an associate’s degree or technical training program. “Earnings of Americans
with less than a four-year college degree has stagnated or fallen” (Stevens et al., 2019, p. 986).
This study mentioned in the article focuses on California-state college campuses and includes
“urban, suburban, and rural regions” (Stevens et al., 2019, p. 991). This data presented supports
the stance that community colleges need more funding and support for students and faculty to
produce more qualified workers that are awarded higher wages; however, this article is
specifically discussing the California wages of those with associate’s degrees and/or technical
certifications in the year of 2019.
Reforming America Through Community Colleges – Article 3
“The central role of community colleges is reflected in the considerable attention they have
received, particularly in the last ten years, from the U.S. government and from leading
foundations. They have lavishing attention and funds on community colleges in the name of
increasing access to higher education, revamping developmental education for students arriving
in college without college-level academic skills, and facilitating student movement through
higher education and into the labor force” (Dougherty et al., 2017, p. 5). An article titled,
Reforming the American Community College: Promising Changes and Their Challenges, focuses
on how community colleges are receiving the attention and funding they need to be successful at
producing graduates that have the potential to bolster the labor market. Proper funding and
training and for community colleges and their faculty are highly necessary. Especially
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 7
considering the diversity represented at community colleges. “Community colleges are
tremendously important institutions within the higher educational landscape, enrolling 39% of all
undergraduates. As ‘access institutions’, they enroll a large share of students from historically
excluded populations: 38% of African American students, 46% of Latinx students, 47% of first
generation collegegoers, 34% of Pell recipients, and 46% of undergraduates aged 25 or older.
Therefore, their performance in retaining students and shepherding them to degrees has profound
implications for higher educational equity and even (given the well-documented impact of
degree completion on wages) socioeconomic mobility” (Monaghan & Sommers, 2021, para. 3).
The article being analyzed states that “community colleges draw on a wide range of
revenue sources. The single largest source is state governments, but community colleges also
receive substantial funds from the federal and local governments. In two thirds of states, the state
funding involves a performance component, where funding is dependent in part on institutional
success on such measures as student retention and graduation” (Dougherty et al., p. 7). The
article argues that the issues revolving around return on investment for students, quality of
workforce development programs, and overall effectiveness of community colleges is not rooted
in funding, or lack thereof, it is rooted “to a great degree in institutional obstacles and systemic
problems in higher education that calls for a powerful reform” (Doughterty et al., p. 27).
Discussion
Through journal analyses discussing the potential, effectiveness, and funding in regard to
community colleges and their workforce development programs, it is evident that community
colleges are uniquely positioned to bolster the labor market. Corporations are reviewing their
minimum qualifications on their job postings and changing the verbiage to make them more
inclusive for non-traditional student graduates and/or those pursuing technical programs and
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 8
certifications. This yields to a more diverse applicant pool and broaden the overall applicant pool
for employers. While community colleges have historically been overlooked for funding when
compared to traditional four-year universities, community colleges have a lot to offer their
surrounding communities, as well as the overall labor market. Many states, in the last five years,
have recognized this and have granted additional funding for community colleges. Following the
COVID-19 pandemic and the “Great Resignation,” I believe community college funding will
only increase to bolster the labor market. Community colleges, specifically, can take a Biblical
approach to this labor market challenge by demonstrating strong, Godly leadership. Today’s
labor market presents a clear path for Christians to encourage their peers and for higher
education institutions to realign their offerings to better meet the growing demands of society
and the workforce. This topic also forces higher education institutions to ask themselves, “are we
truly serving our students to the best of our ability?”. Higher education can take a Biblical and
socially responsible approach to meeting people right where they are by providing affordable and
flexible options for the people within their community. A Biblical worldview regarding social
responsibility would point to Matthew 25:40. In this verse, God makes it clear that He wants
society to live a life that demonstrates an overflow of mercy, love, and compassion.
Community Colleges: Journal Analysis 9
References
Dougherty, K.J., Lahr, H., & Morest, V.S. (2017). Reforming the american community college:
Promising changes and their challenges. Community College Research Center, 98(1), 1-
36. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/reforming-american-community-college
promising-changes-challenges.html
Fletcher, J.A. (2017). Community college economic workforce development programs and
financial insecurity. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(5), 373- 378.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1080/10668926.2017.1304295
Monaghan, D.B. & Sommers, O.K. (2021, August 22). And now for some good news: Trends in
student retention at community colleges. Res High Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-
021-09656-6
Schroeder, R. (2021, November 3). Higher education’s role in the era of the great resignation.
Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online trending-
now/higher-education%E2%80%99s-role-era-great-resignation
Stevens, A.H., Kurlaender, M., & Grosz, M. (2019). Career technical education and labor market
outcomes: Evidence from california community colleges. Journal of Human Resources,
54(4), 986-1036. http://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/738205
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