Colleges are part of communities' economic DNA

When it comes to maintaining and building local, state and regional economies, it’s hard to ignore the sector of higher education that serves nearly every square inch of the country.
That’s the message of a new policy brief from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) that examines the role of community colleges in providing worker training for constantly changing industries, which in turn stabilize and expand local economies.
"The data on economic returns to students and society are well-documented by leading scholars," said Christopher Mullin, program director for policy analysis at AACC and co-author of the brief, "Community College Contributions." Read more...