Our Impact

For many years, a college degree was considered the clearest path to achieving the American Dream of upward mobility and financial security. Over the past decade, research and trends have demonstrated that a four-year college degree for low-income young adults is no longer a guarantee to earning higher wages and generating wealth. The most common contributors to this reality are (1) the increasing costs of college and subsequent increases in loan debt, (2) low rates of college completion among low-income students, and (3) a lack of jobs related to their major upon degree completion.

This compelling evidence suggests that a significant portion of young people in Northeast Ohio will be most successful pursuing a professional trade or skill credential that does not involve a four-year degree. Through a multi-phase process of pilot programming and assessing community needs, Village Collective Inc has identified a gap in services in Northeast Ohio that supports young people pursuing professional certifications, apprenticeships and other career training alternatives to college.