U N D E R S T A N D I N G

B O S T O N

The Case for Community Colleges:

Aligning Higher Education and Workforce Needs in Massachusetts

Prepared for The Boston Foundation

by Julian L. Alssid, Melissa Goldberg and John Schneider

November 2011

About the Boston Foundation

The Boston Foundation, Greater Bostons community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with assets of $860 million. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Foundation and its donors made almost $78 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $81 million. The Foundation is made up of some 900 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives designed to address the communitys and regions most pressing challenges. For more information about the Boston Foundation, visit www.tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.

About Julian L. Alssid

Julian Alssid, executive director of Workforce Strategy Center (WSC), is a nationally recognized expert in workforce development strategy and policy. He has more than 20 years of experience bringing together employers, workforce agencies, community colleges and clients to help move low-income people into high-wage jobs in key industries. WSC advises state and national leaders on developing effective education and employment policies that complement one another in order to better align public resources with employer demand.

About Melissa Goldberg

Melissa Goldberg, senior associate at WSC, has 20 years of workforce development experience. She has provided strategic planning assistance to education and workforce development leaders and practitioners in states, regions, the federal government and private foundations. She is co-author most recently of What Works: BridgeConnect Stories from the Field, Building a Higher Skilled Workforce: Results and Implications of the BridgeConnect National Survey, and Supporting the Education Pipeline: A Business Engagement Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations.

About John Schneider

John Schneider directs MassINCs policy, civic affairs and public outreach programs and initiatives. His extensive policy background includes groundbreaking work in public education reform, workforce development and urban revitalization, including MassINCs New Skills for a New Economy and Gateway Cities programs. Before joining MassINC, Mr. Schneider directed a regional planning and economic development partnership within the Massachusetts I-90 and I-495 corridors.

UNDERSTANDING BOSTON is a series of forums, educational events, and research sponsored by the Boston Foundation to
provide information and insight into issues affecting Boston, its neighborhoods, and the region. By working in collaboration with a wide range of partners, the Boston Foundation provides opportunities for people to come together to explore challenges facing our constantly changing community to develop an informed civic agenda. Visit www.tbf.org to learn more about Understanding Boston and the Boston Foundation.

Design: Kate Canfield, Canfield Design Cover Photo: Jaco Wolmarans, iStock Photography 2011 by The Boston Foundation. All rights reserved.