This Week Hello again! Can you believe we're halfway through May? Time sure is flying by. Speaking of time – what's your favorite song with it included in the title? Tell us here. We're partial to: |
This Week Happy May Day! The traditional celebration of spring may be just what communities across Missouri need after months of physical distancing measures and home quarantining due to the coronavirus pandemic. |
For the first time, the annual MCCA Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society celebration went virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has shifted classes online. Even though the Wednesday, April 22 in-person gathering was canceled, the moment was no less momentous with remarks Mun Y. Choi, President, University of Missouri System and Interim Chancellor, University of Missouri, the event sponsor, and Dr. Raymond Cummiskey, President of Jefferson College, served as the keynote.
Dr. Cummiskey is one of 10 retiring college presidents and chancellors recently recognized with the Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. These awards are given to retiring college presidents who have shown strong support of student success on their campus by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students over the course of their career. Recipients are nominated by the students on their campus.
Jordan L. Williams, an experienced attorney who has held roles in local, state, and federal government, has been named deputy director and general counsel, President and CEO Brian Millner announced today. Williams was selected for the role following a statewide search.
“MCCA is lucky to have someone with Jordan’s experience and expertise,” said Millner. “As a small association it’s vital to have a team of utility players who can successfully fulfill different roles as the needs of the association shift. Having a detail-oriented project manager who can also assist MCCA in staying on top of legal and legislative matters as they arise, Jordan will be a huge asset to our team.”
Jefferson City, MO — The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Missouri will receive substantial grant funding for the Missouri Apprenticeships in Manufacturing Program (MoAMP), a statewide initiative to improve the ability to deliver innovative pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs. Participants will learn skills and earn credentials, or degrees, that will lead to high-demand entry- and middle-skills occupations in the advanced manufacturing industry.
The nine-member consortium of Missouri’s community colleges and State Technical College of Missouri, and private-sector partner, National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), will target three career pathways of occupations within advanced manufacturing: automation and systems, logistics, and production and maintenance.
Spring is in the air and you know what that means — spring cleaning! Time to roll up your sleeves and tackle those projects that you put off, including cleaning and updating your MCCA member profile.
Today is the day we celebrate Mother Earth. While Earth Day only falls once a year, we can each make a difference in our local communities today to make a global difference throughout the year.
Today (and tomorrow) marks American Associations Day!
At this joyous time of year, we are grateful for our partnership with each of you.
Just a heads up that our office will be closed Friday, December 21, 2018-Tuesday, January 1, 2019.
Not surprisingly, workforce development was a central focus of this year’s Governor’s Conference on Economic Development.
At the event, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens unveiled “Skilled Workforce Missouri,” the Department of Economic Development’s new plan to overall the state’s workforce system.
Last week, Senate appropriations approved a bill that would increase the maximum award for Pell grants by 1.7 percent.
MCCA and other community colleges had lobbied for either an increase in the Pell Grant maximum or funding for short-term training via Pell Grants. Sen. Roy Blunt led the effort to pass the increase.
In a meeting with the National Skills Coalition, Missouri’s community colleges looked at several statewide policies that would enable colleges to train workers to fill the state’s growing skills gap.
In Missouri, there are not enough workers trained to the middle-skill level to fill the jobs available. Middle-skill jobs accounted for roughly 53 percent of jobs in Missouri in 2015, but only 46 percent of the state’s workers are trained to this level. These middle-skill jobs require a credential beyond high school, but not a four year degree, leaving many workers either under or over-trained.
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Earlier this month, an MCCA task force presented a report to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and the Governor’s office detailing ways that community colleges are keeping costs down. The report was produced in response to a charge from Governor Eric Greitens that directed the Missouri Department of Higher Education to review administrative costs at Missouri’s higher education institutions. |
President Donald Trump reiterated his support for apprenticeships at a discussion last week focused on expanding opportunities for women and minorities in STEM fields.
The discussion was one event in a series dating as far back as March in which the President pointed to “earn as you learn” programs as a possible solution for growing skills gaps in the nation’s fastest growing sectors.
Jefferson City, Missouri – Brian Millner was named President/CEO of the Missouri Community College Association, effective September 1.
Millner will lead the association in its efforts to advocate and provide professional development for Missouri’s 12 community colleges and nearly 2,000 members.
We're building a new set of member benefits to make MCCA membership even more relevant and valuable for you.
We get it. It’s hard to pull away from work for a three-day conference. That’s why, this February, we’re introducing a new monthly webinar series. This way you have access to professional development that is affordable, convenient, and relevant to you.
Together, we did some powerful things in 2017. Check them out in our annual report:
