Community Colleges Can Lead the Charge for Equity and Economic Mobility

Nearly seven of every 10 people do not have access to a quality job. This is a heightened reality for young adults, immigrants, people who are Black, Latine, or Indigenous, people who don’t have a four-year degree, and people who have records of arrest, conviction, or incarceration. Members of these groups often face institutional barriers within the education and workforce development systems that limit their opportunities for economic advancement. For example, Black learners and workers are overrepresented in low-wage service jobs that are at risk of being automated and they are underrepresented in high-wage jobs in growing, in-demand fields—a reality known as occupational segregation. This segregation contributes to significant wealth gaps, with McKinsey estimating a $220 billion annual disparity between the wages Black workers in this country earned in 2021 and what they would have earned if there were full racial parity in the labor market.  

Given that community colleges enroll more than one-third of all Black undergraduate learners in the nation and are more reflective of the communities they serve than are four-year institutions, they are uniquely positioned to accelerate economic advancement for groups like Black learners. 

At Jobs for the Future (JFF), we recognize the unique position of community colleges to offer pathways to high-wage, high-demand careers, thereby uplifting entire families and communities. In our efforts to partner with community colleges and disrupt occupational segregation, JFF’s Center for Racial Economic Equity has launched an initiative called Disrupt the Divide to support six institutions in their efforts to increase the number of Black learners accessing and completing programs that lead to high-wage jobs in growing industries.  

Below, Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Technical Community College, offers an institutional perspective on the opportunity and collaborative effort to increase the number of Black learners who access and complete postsecondary programs that lead to high-wage, high-growth careers.  

President’s Voice: A Window Into What Is Possible   

As president of Forsyth Tech in North Carolina, I often tell people that I have the best job in the world. Why? Because every day, I witness the transformative power of education in breaking the cycle of generational poverty. This is the privilege and responsibility of the more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide.  

At Forsyth Tech, we embrace the marketing tagline “a place of promise,” and I unapologetically talk about loving every student and serving each one to success. In 2023, our student population reflected our region’s diversity: 44% were white, 25% were Black, 18% were Hispanic, and 13% identified as “other.” Our youngest graduate this year was 16, our eldest was 74, and 77% of our students were eligible for Pell Grants. We celebrate this diversity, and our mission is clear: We are committed to meeting each student where they are. We recognize that one-size-fits-all strategies will not be successful, particularly for Black learners and other students facing systemic barriers to economic advancement, who need tailored, meaningful support to ensure their success.     

At Forsyth Tech, by improving the experiences of Black learners and communities that historically have not received equitable investments from the government or private-sector institutions, we are enhancing outcomes and elevating the overall experience for all students. We are partnering with JFF to analyze the outcomes and experiences of Black learners in our nursing and mechatronic programs and to design and implement interventions that will provide equitable access to credentials that lead to employment in high-wage, high-growth fields. This work builds on a collaboration with Education Design Lab to redesign the learner journey by building regional partnerships. These alliances are intended to support Black and Latine learners and learners from low-income backgrounds in completing an associate’s degree one year after high school graduation by offering them individualized support and access to whatever they need to keep them on track.  

Our efforts to date have yielded positive results. In February 2024, Forsyth Tech was recognized as a Leader College by Achieving the Dream, which reflects our progress in closing equity gaps for students of color and ensuring that Black learners have an equitable opportunity to succeed. We work every day to build and strengthen this momentum because we recognize that more work needs to be done. 

For example, in our work with JFF, we are looking closely at mechatronics engineering technology and nursing as two programs that can lead to high-demand, high-wage employment opportunities, or jobs that are situated in a sector that demonstrates sustainability or consistent growth and offers a salary at or above the local living wage. Our collaborative work will focus on addressing the underrepresentation of Black men and women, respectively, in the programs of nursing and mechatronics. Our work will be anchored in co-designing intentional strategies to better support Black learners at Forsyth Tech and ensure that they have an equitable opportunity to experience economic mobility.    

As is the case with JFF’s Center for Racial Economic Equity, one of the frameworks that guides our work is the concept of the “curb-cut effect,” a principle that highlights how a solution designed for one group can benefit and improve the experience of all groups. The concept emerged when designers first created curb cuts on sidewalks for wheelchair users, and the ramps subsequently made life easier for countless others as well, from parents with strollers to delivery workers. This example illustrates how inclusive design can have positive ripple effects for many beyond the intended group. The curb-cut effect will continue to inform our work with JFF, and we are eager to learn and share insights with the field.

Community colleges are integral to fulfilling the hope and promise of the American dream. We cannot overstate the importance of our role as economic mobility and racial equity catalysts. By providing accessible education and workforce training, community colleges can build stronger on-ramps and bridges to high-wage, high-demand careers for Black learners and achieve long-term success.   

With organizations like JFF leading data-driven initiatives and taking bold actions, and institutions like Forsyth Tech pushing the boundaries of innovation, we are exponentially enhancing the potential for Black learners and students who are members of other groups that have long been underrepresented in higher education. Our collaborative efforts are not just about closing equity gaps; they are also about creating a new paradigm for education that ensures equitable outcomes for all students.    

Every community college leader has the power to transform education, drive social change, and help build a future where every student, regardless of background, has the chance to succeed.