This episode features interviews with Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) graduate Kwame Presley, GRCC President Dr. Charles Lepper and Melissa Goldberg, the Director of Competencies and Credentials at Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, a national non-profit development organization that partners with government, business, education and community leaders to connect workers with education and good jobs.

Kwame shares his experience as a parenting student in an accelerated quality non-degree credential program in the IT sector that has led to a fantastic career opportunity with a local employer. He provides important recommendations to college leaders and students towards student success.

President Lepper offers his reflections from Kwame’s interview and describes how GRCC has developed responsive non-degree credential programs in strong partnership with regional employers and workforce organizations.

Melissa shares more on the work Corporation for a Skilled Workforce leads on quality non-degree credential programs across the country including the ACE-UP grant that Grand Rapids is a part of focused on strategies colleges can employ to help their industry partners create more inclusive workplace environments.

The All In: Student Pathways Forward podcast is a part of Oregon’s participation in the National Skills Coalition SkillSPAN network and supported by the Lumina Foundation.