The Mixed Methods Blog

Perspectives from our researchers, highlights from recent studies, and other news about CCRC

Video: The Role of Community Colleges in Preparing Students for the Green Economy

green-jobs-webinar-blog

An August webinar focused on the role community colleges can play in preparing for the significant workforce transitions that are occurring as colleges, governments, and industries work to limit, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change. A recording of the webinar is available within this blog post.

Community Colleges Combating Climate Change

Sustainable-Future-Images--Thank-Yous-1200-x-600-px

In April, CCRC hosted an all-day meeting in Louisville, KY focused on understanding the ways community colleges can contribute to the green energy transition with the goal of developing a research agenda around community colleges and climate change.

From Research to Action: Jim Jacobs Retires After More Than 25 Years With CCRC

research-to-action-jim-jacob_20230927-151843_1

Jim Jacobs, CCRC’s former associate director and member of the CCRC Advisory Board, has contributed to several CCRC projects on workforce education, bringing expertise he developed working on industrial development and adult education programs at Macomb Community College. As Jacobs enters retirement, CCRC reflects on his career and contributions to the field.

What is the Role of Community Colleges in Healthcare Training?

dataviz-blog-healthcare

To better understand the role that community colleges play in training healthcare workers, CCRC analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)  to describe the availability of health-related programs—including nursing, allied health, and public health—and the number and characteristics of students who completed credentials in those programs. Maria Cormier breaks down what the data suggests about community college healthcare programs.

A Student-Centered Vision for Workplace Development

student-centered-vision-workplace-development

While community college practice has changed considerably in recent decades, workforce and economic development programs remain stagnant. Jim Jacobs reflects on how community colleges might update the way they work with employers to ensure equity remains a central goal of workforce programs.