Association of Community College Trustees Launches Pilot Program to Improve Skills-Based Hiring, Lumina Foundation Assists with $350,000

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has launched a partnership pilot program to increase effectiveness of skills-based hiring with the help of a $350,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation.Jee Hang Lee

The partnership – it includes ACCT, Opportunity@Work, the state of Maryland, select employers – aims to design or improve training programs at four pilot Maryland community colleges around essential skills for specific occupations.

The four schools are Carroll Community College; Community College of Baltimore County; Frederick Community College; and Howard Community College.

“Community colleges already play an important role in workforce development across the country,” said Jee Hang Lee, ACCT president and CEO. “This project will develop a roadmap for institutions nationwide to standardize their process for helping employers to identify the specific skills needed for high-demand jobs in their region.”

One of the goals is to create a pipeline of skilled and career-ready job candidates.

“Meeting Lumina’s goal – to have 60% of working-age adults obtain a high-quality credential or degree by 2025– makes it crucial to have equitable access to career pathways through multiple channels,” said Kermit Kaleba, Lumina strategy director of employer-aligned programs. “This new project’s focus on skills-based hiring provides yet another pathway for students to expand their access to high-earnings jobs through post-high school training.”