Redesigning Community College Education and Training
About the Transformation Agenda
Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges were awarded a $20 million, three-year grant from the United States Department of Labor to implement the Massachusetts Community Colleges and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda (MCCWDTA). Coordinated by the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office (MCCEO) and lead campus Quinsigamond Community College (QCC), the initiative is designed to assist trade impacted and other eligible residents of the Commonwealth to attain degrees, certificates and industry recognized credentials in two years or less. Through MCCWDTA, the community colleges in Massachusetts are fundamentally changing how they work with each other and with agencies of the workforce development system, government leaders and private sector employers. Together, they are transforming education and training programs to build greater economic opportunities for residents of the commonwealth.
"This grant is not about tinkering, it’s about transformation. This is not about getting more students to enroll, it’s about getting more students to graduation day and into good jobs."
Each community college will offer new or redesigned certificate and degree programs in one or more of the targeted industry sectors below. Each program will employ evidence-based strategies to meet the unique needs of the target population. 4,000 students will be served throughout the three-year grant period.
- Healthcare
- Biotechnology & Life Sciences
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy/Sustainability
- Information Technology
- Financial Services
Coordinated Statewide Strategies for College Success
- College & Career Navigators have been hired at all campuses to assist the target population to enroll in community college programs and access the services of the college and local One-Stop Career Center.
- Industry Teams of administrators and faculty across the system are engaging employer partners, sharing best practices and jointly designing industry-responsive programs.
- Contextualized ABE and developmental education curriculum has been developed collaboratively by faculty system-wide, to accelerate the progress of students who are building basic math and literacy skills to successfully complete a certificate or degree.
Through these efforts, the community colleges are working together to ensure more people attain a college education and a sustainable job, and collectively strengthening the community colleges’ contribution to a healthy, productive economy.