The Role of Rural Community Colleges in Preparing a Twenty-First Century Workforce

Abstract

Community colleges play an ever-increasing role in educating residents across the country, and this is certainly true in rural places. Rural community colleges provide critical educational opportunities to rural populations, and, as such, have an inextricable link to workforce development and economic prosperity in these communities. As rural industries continue to evolve, it is necessary for workers to obtain new or upgraded skills in order to remain competitive and for rural communities to survive. This chapter highlights the ways in which rural communities are changing and the critical role rural community colleges play in educating a modern and competitive rural workforce.