Jill Biden hosts White House Summit on community colleges

Jill Biden hosts White House Summit on community colleges

Recent estimates from the Pew Center suggest that community colleges enroll close to half, or more than 6 million, of all U.S. undergraduates. In order to discuss the progress of these institutions, the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges will be held this week, CNN reports.

According to White House officials, the summit is designed to "highlight the critical role that community colleges play in developing America's workforce and reaching our educational goals."

Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden will host the event, which will include a meeting on the Skills for America's Future initiative. This program encourages corporations to develop specific initiatives to boost the performance of students in science, technology, engineering and math.

"The goal is to ensure there are strong partnerships between growing industries and community college or training programs in every state in the country," said President Obama, quotes CNN.

Higher education is important to America's future, as estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2007 show the average earnings for men with high school education were $42,466 per year, while those with bachelor's degrees earned $88,843, which is more than twice as much.

By Mark Danson