Embedded in the mission of community colleges is the intent to provide career development, work force training and continuing education for the communities colleges serve. For many years, community colleges have engaged various strategies to partner with local businesses and organizations toward their economic advancement and growth, embracing the belief that strong corporate and civic communities enhance the success of the community college.

When considering the cyclical nature of community college enrollments (in depressed economic times the academic programs grow, but in positive economic times traditional enrollments remain static or decline), it was important to expand the streams of revenue that took this unique phenomenon into account. Thus, in the spirit of fully embracing the work force training element of our mission, we, at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, committed to enlarging our capacity to serve business and industry and increasing our share of training funds available during prosperous times. We believed we could take that concept to the next level by diversifying revenue streams for the college and connecting the cyclical relationship between academic enrollment and training, based on national economic trends.

An evaluation of local business needs by surveys and focus groups through our Chamber of Commerce revealed that if we were to maximize our services to the companies headquartered in Cuyahoga County, then we needed to provide them with locations comparable to their workplaces. Likewise, if we were to become the “official” training arm for small and medium-sized local businesses, then we must reflect the places of delivery similar to their previous providers and have a “business-like curb appeal.” We at Cuyahoga Community College agreed that the creation of new campus sites that delivered corporate training and professional development across our county would enhance our current campus-based work force training greatly.