E-to-E: Spanning Opportunity and Skills Gaps with Education-to-Employment Pathways

Overview & Synopsis

This article reports on a skills gap problem experienced in New England states where the economy has improved, but economic opportunity and skills gaps contribute to slower growth in employment, income, and social mobility. The article suggests ways to overcome this gap by building stronger bridges between education and employment ("E-to-E") and, specifically, between the region's employers and community colleges. Individuals without postsecondary education or an applied higher education skillset are not as successful as those with higher education and with their education aligned with the needs of companies that are hiring for well-paying positions. A solution to this gap comes via the community college system (of New Hampshire) where programs provide guided pathways from general education to job-specific employment skills in occupations that pay greater than average wages for associate degree holders and have promotion and career opportunities. These programs provide work-based learning opportunities such as internships and job placement. Students can enter these programs while still in high school through dual-enrollment (Running Start) courses that are offered in virtually every high school in the state.