Community Colleges Are Economic Development

When communities talk about economic development, the conversation often focuses on recruiting new companies, building industrial parks, widening roads, or offering incentives to businesses. Those things matter. But there is another piece of economic development that is sometimes overlooked: having a workforce with the skills employers need. That is where community colleges become critically important. In Brunswick County, Brunswick Community College (BCC) provides a good example of how a community college can serve as much more than a place where students earn degrees. It is part of the county’s workforce infrastructure, a resource for existing businesses, a partner for entrepreneurs and a tool for attracting new investment. I was pleased to speak with Dr. Gene Smith, President of BCC, about the college, the programs and services it provides and get his take on what the future of programming in the future looks like. You can view the full interview with links at: https://www.allthingsleland.com/ #brunswickcountync #BrunswickCommunityCollege #leland #economicdevelopment