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NWACC President Invited to White House to Discuss Preparing a Skilled Workforce for Growing Sectors
In early February, the Biden-Harris Administration invited 33 community college presidents, including NWACC President Dr. Rittle, to the White House to discuss how they are preparing a diverse, skilled workforce for growing sectors fueled by President Biden's Investing in America agenda. Sectors include clean energy, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and others.
Officials from the Domestic Policy Council, the National Economic Council, the Office of the First Lady, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor listened in as the community college leaders discussed their strategies for recruiting and training a diverse array of students and workers, their efforts to create partnerships with K-12 systems, employers, labor unions, local elected leaders and others, and how the Biden-Harris Administration can continue to support their efforts.
“While at the White House, I shared the opportunities and challenges unique to the
NWA region’s workforce due to its rapid growth and innovation, and how NWACC has the
responsibility to offer skills training for these emerging needs,” said NWACC President
Dr. Rittle. “Through stats and stories, I was able to make a strong argument on how
the federal government can help equip the college in fulfilling this important component
of our mission to better our students, communities and businesses.”
Key Takeaways From White House Visit:
- Leaders shared best practices for developing partnerships with businesses, employers and unions to further expand workforce training and programs in key sectors.
- They also discussed how such partnerships prepare students for the workforce and create a career path that is meaningful and fiscally strong.
- Leaders suggested how the federal government could assist in removing the following
barriers:
- Reducing the paperwork required for student apprenticeships and workforce grant applications
- Allowing Pell Grant funding to be awarded to students seeking short-term certifications, not only to those seeking a degree.
Interested in attending NWACC? Learn more about the college’s workforce and degree programs.