Clark State Community College has been named a top ten finalist for the prestigious Bellwether Award for their success in the realm of workforce development.

“Clark State's workforce programs are top notch, and this recognition confirms the innovative work we are doing in manufacturing,” said Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State. “Our faculty and staff have been responsive to workforce needs in manufacturing, and being a finalist for the Bellwether Award is a testament to their hard work.”

The Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA) issued a call for Bellwether Award nominations in the fall of 2016, and 30 finalist colleges in three categories were competitively chosen from the applicants. More than 200 applications were submitted for consideration.

The Bellwether Awards annually recognize outstanding and innovative programs and practices that are successfully leading community colleges into the future. Winners and finalists are invited to join the prestigious Bellwether College Consortium. Finalists are competitively selected based upon how well the program addresses: the conference theme; an identified critical issue; and the published criteria.

Ten finalists were selected in each category: Instructional Programs and Services; Planning, Governance and Finance; and Workforce Development. Workforce development includes public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development.

Clark State Board of Trustees member Jim Doyle, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Amit Singh and Manufacturing Grant Coordinator Mary Benedict will present Pathways as a Start: Credentialing that Builds Tomorrow’s Workforce at the Community College Futures Assembly on January 30, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. One winner will then be selected from each category by a panel of national experts within each category. The winners will be announced on January 31 at the CCFA annual meeting in Orlando.

The Community College Futures Assembly convenes annually as an independent national policy forum for key opinion leaders to work as a “think tank” in identifying critical issues facing the future of community colleges and to recognize Bellwether finalist colleges as trend-setting institutions.