Reimagining Career and Community Colleges in an Age of Artificial Intelligence: From Entry-Level Preparation to Lifelong Capability Ecosystems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33423/pttx8s87Keywords:
higher education, artificial intelligence, entry-level work, recognition systems, lifelong learning, labour markets, credential inflation, workforce developmentAbstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping labor markets in ways that extend beyond changes in skill demand to the mechanisms through which individuals gain access to work. Career and community colleges have traditionally served as pathways to employment by preparing learners for early-career roles where formal learning is converted into applied capability. This paper argues that this model is under increasing pressure. Drawing on task-based theories of technological change and empirical evidence from 2022–2026, it shows how AI is compressing the routine cognitive tasks that historically defined many entry-level positions. As these tasks are automated or augmented, organizations are redesigning jobs to deliver immediate productivity, reducing opportunities for learning-by-doing and weakening traditional signals of competence and potential. The result is a growing problem of recognition failure: a mismatch between how capabilities are developed and how competence is validated and trusted. Using Canadian labor-market data and international case studies from Tecnológico de Monterrey and Brainport Eindhoven, the paper explores emerging institutional responses and outlines implications for workforce development, credentialing, and postsecondary education.
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