The Obama administration's proposed federal budget for next year will seek funding for rural initiatives that support workforce development partnerships among local businesses and other entities, such as community colleges, according to Doug O’Brien, deputy under secretary for rural development  at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

President Barack Obama's support for community colleges was underscored by his visit to Northeast Iowa Community College last summer, where he spent the whole day in a conference on rural development, O'Brien said.

“It is very clear to us [that] community colleges play an essential role in creating economic opportunity and jobs in rural areas,” he said. But “community colleges’ mission goes beyond education and training. In rural places, small towns, and sparsely populated counties, they serve as the hub and core of civic engagement."

Paralleling the president's State of the Union address last week, O’Brien said the administration’s plan to rebuild the economy is focused on workforce training, domestic energy production and creating more manufacturing jobs—particularly in advanced manufacturing—and community colleges can play a key role in all of those areas.

The president believes strengthening partnerships between community colleges and private employers “will be one of the specific strategies to grow the capacity of the workforce for good jobs,” O'Brien said. 

“In many ways, this is the moment for community colleges,” he said. “There are opportunities to create jobs that will last, but it’s really going to take a new set of skills for American workers. Community colleges are uniquely positioned to take on this role and to partner with the federal government and the private sector.”

Check out USDA programs

O’Brien told attendees at the American Association of Community Colleges' Workforce Development Institute last week that if they haven’t yet reached out to USDA, they should do so.

“Make connections with the rural development offices in your area,” he said, noting that USDA has 500 local and 47 state offices along with lots of resources to promote economic development.

O'Brien outlined some USDA rural development programs that community colleges can tap into, including housing programs that could be used for college residences; a $1.2 billion loan program for community facilities that colleges have used for classroom space, labs and other projects; and programs to support water and power infrastructure, provide broadband access and support distance learning.