With its connections to the K-12 and university systems, economic development, business, and community organizations, the community college is an example of the knowledge supply chain in motion. Community colleges play a substantial role in preparing students for the workplace.
Community colleges enroll almost half of America's undergraduates.
At the same time, they serve as a graduate school of sorts for others. Deeply involved in technology training and certification, community colleges are a key in bridging the digital divide and offering the training to help all Americans achieve 21st century technology literacy . In order to serve its constituents more effectively, the community college must insure that its programs are aligned with workforce and economic development needs. Community colleges can work toward insuring this by collaborating with business, public and private training systems, educational institutions, and other community stakeholders in the knowledge supply chain. While there are many community colleges that have aligned with market demands, most are only beginning to design programs and policies that are truly demand-driven.