Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1504065
16 Worcester Business Journal | July 24, 2023 | wbjournal.com 60 Years of Higher Education I n September 2023, Quinsigamond Community College will welcome its 60th class. For six decades, QCC has offered higher education opportunities to every population that makes up our diverse city and the surrounding communities. QCC delivers skilled workers, is a reliable source of talent, and a cultivator of brilliant minds in Worcester and Central Massachusetts. Since the early sixties, our alumni have served in all industry sectors, in civil service positions, and in leadership roles in government and community-based organizations. QCC graduates have been and continue to be essential for the socio-economic development of the region. e college serves close to 9,000 students annually and currently offers over 115 programs of study, at the certificate and associate degree levels, as well as short-term workforce training courses. We support our students' academic and career goals, while simultaneously creating the human capital needed by employers in all industry sectors, particularly those that face vacancies and shortages of workers. Community colleges are seen as the "de facto" workforce development institutions because we educate and train people to join the labor market faster than other higher education institutions. While that is true, community colleges such as QCC do much more. QCC meets students and potential students where they are in their educational journey. Many come to us to start their college education and upon completion of an associate degree, move on to complete a bachelor's degree at a four-year college or university. However, others come to us because they need to complete their high school education, learn English as a second language, complete their college degree, or enroll in a training program that enhances their occupational skills and allows them to get a new job, or a job upgrade at their place of employment. In the last three years (2021-2023), QCC graduated 3,642 students who completed certificates and associate degrees in Business Administration, Technology, Human Services, Liberal Arts, and Healthcare programs. Over 90% of those stay in Central MA contributing to our thriving communities. QCC is a partner to many organizations and employers in the region such as Worcester House of Corrections, Central MA Agency on Aging, AbbVie, MA Biomedical Initiatives (MBI), Worcester Public Schools, Amazon, Seven Hills Foundation, Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Saint Gobain, Hanover Insurance, IPG, Reliant Medical Group, Saint Vincent's Hospital and UMass Memorial Medical Center. In tandem with these community partnerships QCC offers apprenticeship programs, workforce training, recruitment opportunities, and early college programs. Our partners welcome and recruit our students in co-ops and internships, and many of their leaders serve as mentors to our students. is synergy helps contribute to Central Massachusetts' socioeconomic success, while diversifying organizations' employees because QCC's students reflect Worcester's demographics – racially and ethnically diverse, multilingual, and multicultural. QCC is a gateway to higher education, just as Worcester is the gateway to our state's economy. To learn more about all QCC has to offer visit qcc.edu/welcome. Luis G. Pedraja, Ph.D. Special Sponsor Section