Supporting these fast, affordable schools can help millions of people get the skills they need

Many people consider community and technical colleges to be the underdogs of American higher education. Too often, they overlook the colleges’ contributions to students and the workforce, throwing them the occasional bone only because the colleges serve as a stopgap for those who can’t afford or aren’t prepared for a “traditional” four-year school.

The truth is, roughly half of all working adults in America have benefitted from some community college, and the majority of those students had a successful experience that culminated in a degree, credential or a transfer to a four-year institution. Of those who enrolled in a community or technical college as an adult, nearly all had one goal in mind: a better job.

Research confirms that credential or certificate programs offered through community and technical colleges have tangible value for students, producing median annual earnings of $45,000, compared to just $30,000 for those with only a high school diploma. A report from Old Dominion University found that students who completed such programs increased their earnings immediately upon program completion and saw continued wage growth for up to a decade afterward.

Several states have begun to embrace community and technical colleges for their unique ability to solve challenges facing local labor markets. Thanks to their close alignment with area businesses and economic development leaders, community and technical colleges are best equipped to create affordable, high-quality programs to rapidly upskill adult workers and help fill area jobs.

Take Virginia, where the Fast Forward program has helped connect thousands of Virginians with 6- to 12-week credential programs at community colleges that prepare graduates for more than 40 in-demand careers. The program has resulted in average wage hikes for graduates of 20 to 25 percent. In Louisiana, the Reboot Your Career program has helped more than 6,000 displaced workers complete short-term training programs in health care, transportation, IT, manufacturing, and construction. Similar initiatives are underway in Colorado, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina.

Right this moment, about 36 million Americans have some college but no degree, and more than 50 million working-age adults have only a high school education or less. That’s north of 90 million adults with the potential to gain the skills for available jobs (and there are plenty of open jobs right now), but who need only an educational boost to make their dreams of higher incomes and better lives come true.

Yet despite the proliferation of credential programs nationwide, one crucial barrier makes it difficult for many adults to take advantage of them: Cost.

Even with a shorter path to completion and lower price point than other pathways for post-high school learning, the overall cost of credential programs can be prohibitive for many working adults. For parents caring for dependents or paying childcare fees, or for full-time employees who must take time off to learn new skills, the longer it takes to earn a credential, the higher the cost.

While some states have leveraged federal CARES Act funds or other grant programs to lessen the financial burden on returning adult students, our workforce deserves and demands a more comprehensive solution that will allow all interested adults to access the cutting-edge training they need to immediately pursue career-advancing jobs.

The Pell Grant should be part of that solution. Extending the nation’s most popular federal financial aid program to short-term credential programs—those that are less than 600 hours or 15 weeks long—would have an immediate impact. We see workforce Pell grants as a tremendous opportunity to help revive post-high school learning enrollment, which has declined significantly as a result of the pandemic, and to help bolster the nation’s shaky post-COVID economic recovery.

We live in an era where faster is almost always considered better; from Wi-Fi speeds to shipping times, we seem to want everything as quickly as possible. Why not also make it faster and more affordable for people to earn a meaningful credential that leads to a better job and a better quality of life?

It’s a proven fact that community colleges can help accelerate career opportunities for millions of Americans—but we must not sacrifice quality for expedience. Any federal support for short-term credential programs must also ensure that priority is given to programs that provide a tangible return on student investment. And it must do so without limiting the ability of institutions to work creatively with local employers to develop the training pathways that can immediately impact the area’s economy.

With the right investments, we can transform community and technical colleges to become true engines of opportunity for millions of Americans, helping to support a strong post-pandemic economic recovery and preparing a more agile workforce and a better future for families across the country.

Monty Sullivan is president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and Chauncy Lennon is vice president for learning and work at Lumina Foundation.