The head of one of the Chicago area’s largest companies wants fellow
CEOs to partner more with community colleges to address a growing gap
between workforce skills and the labor needs of businesses.
At a meeting last week at Harper College (Illinois) with its trustees and foundation board members, Motorola Solutions Chairman
and CEO Greg Brown said companies like his are finding it increasingly
difficult to match job openings with workers possessing technical and
communication skills. Closer corporate involvement with community
college students can help, he added.
"We have to show students a path, connect the dots and show them how
to get from here to there,” Brown said. "Students need to know that if
they complete a degree or certificate, what’s on the other end. What
does it look like? Harper and other community colleges will play a
critical role in making that happen.”