Workforce Development and Clusters

In case you missed it, Stu Rosenfeld from NC-based Regional Technology Strategies wrote an interesting article in the print edition of the December 2003 issue of Inside ED (Expansion Management Magazine publication) about how to approach workforce development within industry clusters. (Not on the Web)

While I agree with many of Stu's ideas in this regard, I must say that reinventing community colleges in light of clusters gives me a pause. I think community colleges can play a vital role in developing good jobs in clusters, but the real role of community colleges should be that of offering diverse educational opportunities to residents of an area. Maybe it's a matter of degree, or how much attention we give to the concept of "cluster-based education." It should be a part of the future educational portfolio, the question is how much is reasonable.