Micro-Urban Colleges, Quality Credentials, and Equity for Black Learners

Community colleges in micro-urban spaces (small cities with big-city dynamics) play a pivotal role in expanding access, strengthening workforce pathways, and advancing equity for Black learners. In this conversation, Dr. Terry Vaughan III highlights how these communities offer unique advantages, such as concentrated resources, reduced geographic barriers, and strong anchor institutions that can drive economic mobility. He explains to host Gianina Baker how the shift toward skills-based hiring reframes the value of credentials, emphasizing the competencies, experiences, and outcomes they represent. Vaughan also outlines his job duties at Workcred, where he focuses on building a national system of high-quality credentials, work-based learning, and transparent data to better align education with the needs of the labor market.