2025 Spring Seminar Series Seminar: Emily Wilcox University of Kentucky

Supporting Advanced Manufacturing Growth - How do Community Colleges Respond to Local Economic Development Shocks?

Abstract: Prior to the global pandemic, the U.S. experienced a sharp decline in the number of manufacturing jobs across the country. Since 2021, recent federal legislation, such as the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the American Rescue Plan, has sought to revolutionize American manufacturing and increase our domestic manufacturing capacity. This heightened attention on bolstering American manufacturing production has led to increases in production technology and demand for more skilled labor within the advanced manufacturing sector. This is particularly true in states like Kentucky who have seen significant private economic investments in advanced manufacturing in recent years. Traditionally, the two-year community college system has been seen as the center of workforce development in local communities. Community colleges are typically open access with limited admissions criteria and often attract students from the surrounding community. Although there has been significant literature on the responsiveness of four-year institutions to labor market demand, there is limited research focusing on how two-year community colleges respond to changes in their local job market. This paper seeks to analyze the growth in advanced manufacturing in Kentucky in order to understand how community colleges respond to changes in local workforce demand.