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UDC Community College
Support for Establishing a DC Community College
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|“Of the 50 largest cities in the United States, Washington, D.C. is the only one without a freestanding community college.” |
|– Brookings Report, Envisioning Opportunity: Three Options for a Community College in |
|Washington, D.C. |
“The District must increase postsecondary education and training opportunities if its residents are to compete effectively for jobs with workers from neighboring suburbs.” – Excerpt from the DC Workforce Investment Council (WIC) 2008 Strategic Plan for Workforce Development
“There are different ways the City can achieve the goal of employing a higher percentage of residents that are not subject to market forces. One such way is through training individuals for jobs that currently exist and will exist in the future. The District should be working to educate and train residents for jobs in relevant fields. By doing this, the City will properly be working toward the goal of lowering unemployment for all residents.” – Barbara Lang, President of the DC Chamber of Commerce, in recent testimony to the City Council.
“Community colleges are a vital component of our higher education system, serving 12 million people each year, almost half of the undergraduate students in the U.S. Without community colleges, millions of people would not be able to access the education and skills they need to further education or succeed in the workplace."
– President Barack Obama
“The District needs a comprehensive community college in order to prepare residents for employment and further education in an affordable and flexible manner.”
– Brookings Report, Envisioning Opportunity: Three Options for a Community College in Washington, D.C.
Unemployment and Skills Gaps in DC
|“Community colleges are a gateway to higher education, better jobs, and increased lifetime earnings.” |
|– Brookings Report, Envisioning Opportunity: Three Options for a Community College in Washington, D.C. |
District residents hold only about one-third (54,200) of the jobs available in the District for less skilled workers and many more (92,600) are held by commuters from Maryland and Virginia. The establishment of a community college will provide DC residents with the postsecondary education they need to remain competitive in the workforce.
“Without a robust community college, the District’s ability to grow its middle class from within is seriously compromised.” – Brookings Report, Envisioning Opportunity: Three Options for a Community College in Washington, D.C.
“[M]any jobs that are currently, or predicted to be, in demand are ‘middle-skilled’ jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. It is important to note that although there will be a growing number of new green occupations requiring new knowledge, skills, and abilities, it is expected that the majority will be transformed from existing jobs, requiring a redefinition of skill sets, methods, and occupational profiles. Community colleges are an ideal place to begin offering such training, since existing vocational programs can be modified, rather than starting from scratch.” – Excerpt the Academy for Educational Development’s recent report Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Sustainable Future and Green Workforce
|“The largest share of anticipated openings in the District are in office and administrative support (3,432 new jobs) and the |
|business and financial sector (2,352). These will require extensive formal education and training that can be provided at the |
|community college level.” |
|- Excerpt from the DC Workforce Investment Council (WIC) 2008 Strategic Plan for Workforce Development |
According to the January 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics DC Wage and Salary Employment by Industry Data, the industries employing the most DC residents are as follows:
▪ Professional and Business Services: 150,200
• Health Services: 106,500
• Leisure and Hospitality: 58,000
• Financial Activities: 27,400
These industries closely align with the industries that were targeted in the DC Workforce Investment Council’s recent Industry Sector Research Report, as well as with the programmatic offerings planned for the DC Community College.
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