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Unmuddling the Future for Community and Technical Colleges:

A Skills-to-Jobs® Approach

By connecting working learners and employers through the scalable Skills-to-Jobs® (S2J) approach, community and technical colleges play an instrumental role in ensuring efficient and cost effective work-and-learn options that align skills with jobs.

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Unmudl Futures Thought Paper #3

Unmuddling The Future for Community and Technical Colleges: A Skills-to-Jobs® Approach

UNMUDL FUTURES COUNCIL
Headshot of Dr. Holly Zanville
Dr. Amy Diaz
President
GateWay Community College
Chair, Unmudl Futures Council
Headshot of Dr. Holly Zanville
Mr. Lee Lambert
Chancellor
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Inaugural Chair, Unmudl Futures Council
Headshot of Dr. Holly Zanville
Dr. Tracy Hartzler
President
Central New Mexico Community College
Past Chair, Unmudl Futures Council
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Dr. Edward Leach
Executive Director
NISOD
Unmudl Founding Member
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Dr. Kevin Drumm
President Emeritus
SUNY Broome Community College
Unmudl Founding Member
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Dr. Stephanie J. Fujii
President
Arapahoe Community College
Member, Unmudl Futures Council
AUTHORS
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Dr. Parminder Jassal
CEO
Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace
Headshot of Dr. Holly Zanville
Dr. Hope Clark
Managing Director
‍Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace
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Dr. Jialin Yi
Learning Consultant
‍Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace
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Unmudl is an innovative Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace platform created by America’s community and technical colleges to link employers with skilled technicians and technologists. Developed through partnerships with progressive community colleges and the National Institute for Organizational and Staff Development, Unmudl is transforming the path from skill development to meaningful employment in the new learning economy. Addressing the five desired futures for working learners, this forward thinking platform provides a practical solution to bridge the gap between education and employment. Utilizing Unmudl’s Community and Technical College Network (CTCN), it effectively connects working learners with employers, ensuring a smooth transition from training to job placement.

In a dynamic labor market, working learners seek flexible,
affordable, and high-quality training for well-paying jobs,
while employers demand quick, adaptable training with clear
Return on Investment. By connecting working learners and
employers through the scalable Skills-to-Jobs® (S2J) approach,
community and technical colleges play an instrumental
role in ensuring efficient and cost effective work-and-learn
options that align skills with jobs. Colleges connect through
the powerful CTCN, offering online, on-ground, or hybrid
learning options. Collaborating with Unmudl, they establish
relationships with employers, identify necessary skills courses,
and customize both non-credit and credit-bearing solutions to
meet specific employer and learner needs. They also develop
Unmudl Originals courses to increase enrollment and design
Dynamic Paths, offering credits, certificates, certifications, and
degrees to enhance workforce readiness.

Highlights from the Paper

In this paper, you will learn how the Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® approach applies to community and technical colleges, with further exploration of:

  • The unique challenges and opportunities that community and technical colleges face
  • The Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs® journey for community and technical colleges: Connect with Employers – Develop Courses for Working Learners – Offer Creds to Working Learners
  • Success stories showcasing the real-world impact of this approach on community and technical colleges
    ‍

Unmudl Thought Papers Series

This paper is the third of a series of four Unmudl Thought Papers being shared by the Unmudl Futures Council over the course of 2024 consisting of:

1. Unmuddling the Future: From Skills-to-Jobs®2. Unmuddling the Future: Working Learners

3. Unmuddling the Future: Community and Technical Colleges
4. Unmuddling the Future: Employers

Highlights from the Paper

Bridging Skills-to-Jobs®: Unmudl's Revolutionary Approach

Unmudl’s Skills-to-Jobs® Marketplace is a visionary platform, transforming the traditional landscape of education and workforce development into a dynamic, aligned and interconnected ecosystem. This pioneering innovation, brought to life through the collaboration of forward-thinking community colleges, along with the National Institute for Organizational and Staff Development (NISOD), is redefining the trajectory from skill acquisition to meaningful employment in the learning economy. Unmudl’s Skills-to-Jobs® approach not only addresses the immediate challenges of today’s working learners and employers, but also anticipates the future needs of a rapidly evolving global job market.

Empowering Working Learners with Agile Education Pathways

This paper details the diverse needs and challenges of working learners, and underscores the rising demand for non-traditional learning paths that offer clear returns on investment in terms of job readiness and career advancement. At its core, Unmudl aims to empower working learners by providing accessible, flexible, and practical education pathways that directly lead to available job opportunities. Unmudl offers a range of short-term, skills-focused courses tailored to meet the demands of employers across various industries such as advanced manufacturing and healthcare. The Skills-to-Jobs® model supports learners in acquiring the specific skills needed to advance in their careers, while also facilitating lifelong learning and adaptability in a changing economic landscape.
DOWNLOAD PAPER "UNMUDDLING ThE FUTURE for COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES: a SKILLS-TO-JOBS® approach