Advancing Opportunity in Advanced Manufacturing: The Potential of Predominantly Minority Two-Year Colleges

The study reported here, funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation, investigated the capacities, capabilities, and potential of postsecondary two-year institutions that serve large numbers of minority youth and adults to provide a skilled workforce and assist minority-owned businesses with industrial modernization. The populations served by the predominantly minority institutions (PMI) were African American, Hispanic American, and Native American. The underlying research hypotheses are that (a) certain segments of the population, i.e., African American, Hispanic American, and Native American, are under represented in the ownership and management of industry and in the most technical positions; (b) community colleges are repositories of much of the skill and knowledge needed to enable U.S. companies to participate more fully and globally competitive businesses; (c) few high quality industrial training programs and services for and relationships with industry exist among community colleges serving predominantly underrepresented populations; and (d) there is potential and motivation on the part of predominantly minority colleges can do more for and with industry. --- excerpt from book's Preface