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By Shalin Jyotishi, Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover the intersection of science, workforce, and industrial policy.
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Published on August 6, 2026, at 7:26 AM EDT.
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Community college students face a significant disadvantage when it comes to gaining hands-on work experience. A national study commissioned by InsideHigherEd revealed that 58% of community college students had not engaged in any form of work-based learning, compared to just 30% at four-year universities. This gap matters because work-based learning experiences—such as internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, and course-based projects—allow students to test their skills, build professional networks, and develop essential soft skills that lead to successful interviews and long-term employment.
With AI rapidly reshaping the entry-level job market, the need to strengthen work-based learning at community colleges has become even more urgent. Community colleges enroll more than 40% of all undergraduate students in the country, yet many lack the infrastructure to offer practical, paid learning opportunities at scale. Paid experiences help full-time students offset college costs and provide supplemental income for part-time students who may choose shorter-term options like bootcamps or micro-internships while working.
To address this critical need, the Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative at New America, a non-partisan think tank, and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), a national organization representing 6,500 trustees who govern 1,000 community colleges, have joined forces. Together, they are building a durable infrastructure to expand work-based learning capacity across community colleges, with a focus on preparing students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Through a new partnership brokered under New America and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy, New America and ACCT have selected six community colleges to participate in the Accelerator’s inaugural Work-based Learning Capacity-Building Cohort. The Accelerator, originally launched in 2023, strengthens community college capacity for tech-based economic development and helps navigate workforce needs created by emerging industries and technologies. Work-based learning expansion and strengthening the role of community college trustees in economic development are two new focus areas under this partnership.
The cohort spans the United States and includes:
Each of these institutions will receive funding and technical assistance from New America and ACCT to pilot a custom-made institutional self-assessment tool. This tool helps college leaders holistically inventory, assess, and improve their internal infrastructure for work-based learning. College teams will examine which aspects of their infrastructure work well and which need improvement, engaging both on-campus stakeholders—including students, faculty, and staff—and off-campus partners such as employers, chambers of commerce, local and state governments, K-12 schools, and economic development organizations.
Next year, the participating colleges will use their self-study findings to implement at least five concrete recommendations to improve their work-based learning infrastructure. These improvements may range from enhanced data tools and refined communication strategies to professional development for faculty and staff. Other community colleges participating in the Accelerator, including those partnering through the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, will also receive early pilot access to the self-study tool, ensuring the benefits extend well beyond the initial cohort.
“We are delighted to see New America and ACCT launch the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy Work-based Learning Cohort to build capacity of the sector for apprenticeships, internships, and work-based learning needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and congratulate the participating institutions on their selection,” said Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, U.S. National Science Foundation.
At the Global Quantum Forum in Chicago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks during the event. Credit: Andrew Adams, Capitol News Illinois.
Employer buy-in and collaboration are often the first steps toward building a robust work-based learning ecosystem at a community college. Each college selected for the cohort was supported by a network of industry, economic development, and community partners.
In Illinois, City Colleges of Chicago, a community college district made up of seven individual colleges, is scaling up work-based learning opportunities to meet the demands of the region’s growing quantum economy.
According to the Center for Security and International Studies, a Washington, DC think tank, Chicago is in the early stages of emerging as a quantum innovation cluster. Over the past few years, Governor Pritzker has positioned quantum computing as a major economic development priority for the state.
Illinois has made significant investments to support this vision:
These commitments make Illinois the first state to make such a large investment in the emerging technology. The Chicago Quantum Exchange was also one of 31 organizations selected for Tech Hubs funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
“With each new investment, Illinois is cementing its reputation as the leading hub for quantum innovation,” said Kirstin Richards, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
City Colleges’ application for the Accelerator cohort was endorsed by World Business Chicago, a public-private economic development agency for the City of Chicago, which cites several qualifications that position Chicago to lead as a quantum hub in the United States. The district’s work-based learning capacity-building objectives are also supported by local employers including Aon, Accenture, and Zurich North America, all of whom are part of the Chicago Apprenticeship Network.
City Colleges recently launched Chicago Moonshot, an apprenticeship initiative associated with the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park. Through this initiative, the district has committed to graduating hundreds of IT apprentices over the next five years.
Corey Young, associate vice chancellor at City Colleges of Chicago and leader of the district’s application for the cohort, said the college “looks forward to collaborating with peer institutions and leveraging this opportunity to analyze and strengthen our work-based learning ecosystem, creating even more pathways to economic mobility and career success for the communities we serve.”
West Valley College, located in the heart of Silicon Valley in San Jose, California. Credit: West Valley College.
Nestled in San Jose, California, West Valley College sees its participation in the Accelerator Work-based Learning Capacity-Building Cohort as essential to the economic security goals of students living in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the United States.
One of West Valley’s work-based learning focus areas is the care economy. The college partners with leading healthcare employers such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, which provide clinical placements, externships, and internships in fields ranging from physical therapy assisting to orthopedic technology.
“At West Valley College, we believe access to meaningful work-based learning experiences should not be a privilege, but an intentional part of every student’s educational journey,” said Andrea Vizenor, Vice President of Strategy and Equity at West Valley College. “We are honored to partner with New America and ACCT as we continue building innovative systems that expand opportunity, strengthen employer partnerships, and prepare students not only for employment, but for long-term economic vitality and success.”
Demand for skilled caregivers is rising as adults aged 55 and older are projected to make up more than a quarter of the county’s population by 2030. West Valley partners with community-based organizations such as Successful Aging Solutions & Community Consulting, which gives students opportunities to engage in community-centered work, including projects focused on aging populations, social services, and culturally responsive care. The two organizations jointly launched a Community Caregiver Certificate earlier this year.
Following the pilot period led by the six institutions, New America and ACCT will jointly publish the self-study tool for the benefit of the entire community college sector in 2028. Through the partnership brokered by the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy, the two organizations will identify new ways to equip community college board members, presidents, and faculty with a national infrastructure to scale work-based learning. College leaders may complete an interest form to register their institution’s interest in participating in the project.
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