The Lab’s Community College Growth Engine (CCGE) provides community colleges with a structured micro-pathway design process, technical assistance, and a national community of learning that ultimately positions them as talent suppliers and drivers of innovation between education and employment.

Scaling Skills-based Pathways

The fellowship supports higher education leaders to drive system-level transformation through the design of micro-pathways – or, stackable, job-relevant credentials that can be completed in one year or less – that help align community college programs with regional workforce needs, ensuring learner-earners are equipped with the skills needed for high-growth career opportunities.

Why it matters

As traditional higher education models are being called into question, community colleges are looked to as regional talent hubs that can respond to labor market needs through meaningful partnerships with local industries. The future also demands a higher ed system that is more flexible and affordable for New Majority Learner-Earners, the 62% of Americans who don’t hold a four-year degree, and the individuals for whom college was not designed. Instead of taking two or more years to earn a degree, learners will take accelerated micro-pathways that can lead directly into the workforce with industry-recognized skills and credentials.

The CCGE program is funded by Walmart