Guest Blog by Belinda S. Miles, Ed.D., President, Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College Lauds New BCW Data Exchange

September 20, 2018

Effective college leaders rely on timely business insights to inform decisions about programs and services that students want and businesses need. The Business Council of Westchester Data Exchange is a new trusted source for actionable information. The Exchange’s Higher Education data reveals one of the county’s greatest assets: a strong talent pipeline of college-educated individuals. The county’s 25 colleges and universities enroll almost 50,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs to help maintain our competitive edge in attracting and growing businesses. With 12,800 degree-seeking students, Westchester Community College is the county’s largest higher education institution and a launching place for students who transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and graduate or professional studies. With seamless transfer at many institutions, about half of our students go on to four-year colleges. National statistics show that more than 10 percent of doctoral and professional degree earners start at a community college.

Along with this major strength comes a call to action. The future job market is very different from the past. A recent JP Morgan Chase Foundation study with Westchester Community College showed high demand for “middle skills” jobs in health information technology, tech support, and hospitality management. We are working to meet these needs with education and training programs that prepare students for entry into these and other high-growth, high-wage fields. It is a constant effort, matching the rapid pace of change in business. It’s also our mission, and we are passionate about doing it.