Community and technical colleges play an essential role in their neighborhoods. Tasked with supporting pathways to stable employment, these institutions are a critical piece of reducing local unemployment and supporting the socioeconomic success of their communities. Unfortunately, for many colleges, it’s challenging to update programming and content to ensure it keeps pace with the needs of local employers and key stakeholders. In this interview, Eric Richardson shares his insights on the barriers to relevance for community and technical colleges and shares his thoughts on bridging that gap.

Twenty-four percent of women say the ability to afford the education required to change careers would make them more likely to take the leap. Second to that, 22% of women identify access to employer-led education and training, and 19% identify access to career coaching/counseling as the opportunities that would make them more likely to pursue this change.