Many students cannot enroll in a two to four-year collegiate program, but they still desire access to professional skills that will allow them to obtain higher-earning jobs. This episode of Higher Ed Conversations features Linda Kurokawa, the Executive Director of Community Education & Workforce Development at MiraCosta College. Linda highlights the importance of community colleges investing in workforce development and employer relations, showcasing how MiraCosta has become a model through innovative and flexible offerings like brew-tech, machining, and phlebotomy programs. She explains the self-funded nature of her department, which allows for rapid response to industry needs and community demands, leading to high student success rates. Linda also discusses the marketing strategies employed to attract students to these programs, emphasizing word-of-mouth and social media as critical methods. Additionally, she shares advice with host Cheryl Broom about how colleges need to be future-thinking and entrepreneurial to remain relevant and meet the evolving needs of students and industry.
