Recently, Career Communications Group hosted a seminar called “The Skilled Technical Workforce: The Role HBCUs Have in Crafting America’s STEM Workforce.”

The panel featured three experts: Victor McCrary, who is the vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia; Leon Caldwell, who is the founder and managing partner of Ujima Developers, LLC; and William Russo, who is the Aviation Maintenance program director at the University of the District of Columbia Community College.

The National Academies of Sciences predicted that, by 2022, there will be a shortage of “skilled technical workers.” These are workers who have completed high school and possess STEM-related skills but do not hold a college degree.

Furthermore, last year, the National Academies published a report on Minority Serving Institutions, which revealed that over half of these institutions are community colleges.

With the changing landscape of multiple career paths for students and the evolving needs of industries, it is important to consider the role that HBCUs/MSIs play in their communities in this newly-disruptive employment environment.