Chapter 13: Community Colleges And The Education Of Women Of Color In Science, Technology,Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Programs

Community colleges are gaining prominence among public officials as having a critical role in preparing a labor force to meet the growing needs of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors of the United States’ economy. President Obama pledged support for community colleges by announcing the “American Graduation Initiative” (White House, 2009) and hosting a White House Community College Summit (White House, 2011). Congress heard testimony about the role of community colleges to meet industry demand for a technically skilled workforce ( The Role of Community Colleges, 2007), and the National Governor’s Association issued a brief on various state–level efforts using community colleges to build the STEM workforce (National Governors Association, 2011). These reports concur that community colleges can provide affordable, accessible, and timely postsecondary education and training to meet the needs of high-growth job sectors necessary for economic recovery and stability.