Job-Market Data Adds Value to College Curriculum Development

A recent article from The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights the impact of job market data on new program development in Community Colleges around the country.

The article focuses on the Kentucky Community and Technical College system in Floyd County, Kentucky, where the unemployment rate hit 10.5 percent in April 2016. This community college system recently moved to requiring that all new program development be justified by real-time job market data. It’s the granular detail of specific skills, certifications, and employer demand that makes this data valuable for these schools. Similar to the movement happening here in Minnesota, the community college system in Kentucky has also joined with the state’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to assist job seekers with finding job opportunities and getting the biggest return on investment for their education. In fact, the experiences echo those of our partner organizations in Minnesota so closely, it affirms the fact that we are in the midst of a nationwide labor force data revolution.

To read the full article “How Community Colleges Use Job-Market Data to Develop New Programs,” visit The Chronicle of Higher Education’s website at the link below.

Article – The Chronicle of Higher Education