Obama To Announce Industry-Community College Initiative [Another Boondoggle?]

Capital ^ | October 4, 2010 | Corey Boles

[2ndDivisionVet]

President Barack Obama will announce on Monday an initiative aimed at improving partnerships between community colleges and industry around the country with a bid to spur job opportunities for graduates, according to a White House official.

Called "Skills for America", the scheme will seek to establish least one partnership between community colleges and industry in every state. It will set a national goal of achieving an additional 5 million community-college graduates by 2020.

The White House is hoping to pair with large U.S. corporations to advance the effort. It said companies including PG&E Corp. (PCG), Gap Inc. (GPS), McDonalds Corp. (MCD), United Technologies Corp. (UTX) and Accenture PLC (ACN) have said they plan to cooperate in the program.

A new White House task force will be established to coordinate efforts between the private and public sectors to best leverage for the effort, the official said.

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will host a White House summit on community colleges on Tuesday to highlight the role played by community colleges in U.S. post-secondary education.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Uhmmm, why do you need trade school or an associates degree to work at The Gap or McDonald's? And what office does Mrs. Biden hold? Buehler? Buehler?

[nascarnation]

My guess is this is intended to promote more student grants and loans.
More folks “overjoyed” that the govt will give / loan them money.
More Dem voters.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I’ll bet it kills that bass turd to have to throw in the word “America” all the time in order to sell his schemes to Joe Sixpack.

[hinckley buzzard]

Goobermint tries some variation on this theme every few years going back to the early '60's (JFK's "Manpower Development and Training Act-- MDTA"). It never pans out, too much gubmint red tape and too many control freaks in the bureaucracy.

Here's the thing--if P&G actually needed a host of community college-trained employees, they could go recruit them there themselves and not need gubmint's heavy hand on the process.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Yep, JTPA, etc, etc...

[preamble]

how much is this going to put us in debt to China?

how many billions is this proposed program

if it’s so good that private companies want to join in,
have them sponsor it and direct it.

[the invisib1e hand]

I think I saw an advertisement by some community college for training as a "windmill technician."

So, this is how the government "creates" an industry.

[skeeter]

liberal politicians=liberal teachers=liberal students= liberal voters=liberal politicians

The democrats' closed system.

[jmacusa]

Here it comes, ‘’make-work’’ jobs for teachers on our dime. If this Marxist clown wants to stimulate business then let him resign and open up a freakin’ business.

[markomalley]

For what it's worth, I know that the local auto industry in Greenville SC has partnered with the local educational institutions, to include Clemson and Greeville Tech (for example, the Clemson University Center for Automotive Research).

...and it has, from what I understand, worked very well for the benefit of the graduates as well as the benefit of local industry.

So I personally think it is very smart to have this type of partnership (better to graduate an automotive engineer who can get a useful job than a "woman's studies" major who will only be able to be a rabble rouser, an academic, or some other form of malcontent)

But...this did not require any Federal government involvement...nor did it require Federal government funding.

So Obama will try to destroy any remaining useful educational infrastructure to make sure that people are trained to do what he wants them to do. Way to take a good idea and screw it up Barry.

[LostInBayport]

The White House is hoping to pair with large U.S. corporations to advance make them pay for the effort. It said companies including PG&E Corp. (PCG), Gap Inc. (GPS), McDonalds Corp. (MCD), United Technologies Corp. (UTX) and Accenture PLC (ACN) have said they plan to cooperate in the program until the era of "spread the wealth" is over.

Needed some editing.

[susannah59]

Mark, you have hit the nail on the head. Partnerships between schools and businesses to meet real needs is a very good idea. Government interference in this is a very, very bad idea.

What will probably happen, in reality, is that "needs" will be created to take advantage of the federal $$ being offered. This really won't help anybody much, in the long run.

I don't think there is any area of life that the Obamas don't think they know more about than the rest of us. It would not shock me to soon be reading "Michelle Obama's advice for 'marital happiness'" if the euphemism is not too obscure.

[madison10]

I think I saw an advertisement by some community college for training as a "windmill technician." So, this is how the government "creates" an industry.

At least Don Quixote will be able to get a job. *rolling eyes*

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I doubt this “idea” has any economic or pedagogical value, but it is diabolically Clintonsque in its appeal to the Democratic party base.

[the invisib1e hand]

Academic Programs / Wind Turbine Technician

[the invisib1e hand]

*chuckle*

[Bean Counter]

Can’t you see how “stimulative” this will be...especially for all of those Community College Professors...??

[Chode]

please... we've been doing that here since the early 80's.

[jimfree]

Nonsense. This has been going on for decades. The community colleges serve us in multiple ways - they provide a second chance, a chance to return, vocational opportunities, and general adult education. Obama offers us nothing new.

[jimfree]

And yes, industry has offered such cooperation through all those decades, contributing dollars, technology, and instructors.