Obama’s community college plan does not mention one program that has been successful and costs the government nothing. When a large corporation like General Electric gives money to a community college and then prepares students to work for their company. Students are not compelled to work for GE, but they are prepared to work for GE or like companies.
While community college drop out rates are high, such programs induce students to stay. Getting a job is big motivitation to complete an associates degree and perhaps certification.
In 2010, President Obama stated that jobs requiring an associate degree were expected to grow at twice the rate of positions that could be obtained without any college experience in the coming years. The President also said that if community colleges could not train a sufficient number of workers to fill open positions, the jobs would have to be filled by outsourcing. To meet the needs of the workforce and prevent outsourcing, the President has correctly emphasized the role of community colleges. His latest announcmenet misses the mark.
Around the world, it is the unemployement rate among young people that is staggeringly high. Part of the problem is lack of preparation for available jobs.