ABSTRACT
In the Great Resignation, many poorly paid workers opted out of the labor force only to return to the same low-wage, insecure, and wearing jobs they had before the COVID pandemic. What should these workers have known to move to greater economic security and job satisfaction? Community colleges are the country’s most extensive engine of workforce development. The motivating goal of community colleges is to open the door to economic mobility. About 40% of community college graduates end up with a liberal arts degree that has little value in the labor market. Community colleges recognize that they must do more to prepare their graduates for good jobs in an uncertain labor market. This essay asks what a discerning jobseeker should know about working conditions, benefits, and, less tangibly, the role of networks, and the impact of one’s race, gender, or social class as they prepare for a new career. What steps are community colleges taking to graduate savvy, activist future employees?
