Four community colleges launch Google-supported initiative to build the next generation of AI-ready workers

Education Design Lab partners with Riipen to build students' AI fluency through work-based learning experiences

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new initiative launched today by the Education Design Lab (the Lab), in partnership with Riipen and with support from Google.org, will help four community colleges design work-based learning experiences that equip students to thrive in an AI-transformed workforce. Known as the AI + Durable Skills Work-Based Learning Design Challenge, the effort aims to build AI fluency for students at the Community College of Aurora (Aurora, Colo.), Hudson County Community College (Jersey City, N.J.), East Arkansas Community College (Forrest City, Ark.), and Roxbury Community College (Boston, Mass.).

"AI is transforming the world of work faster than many institutions can keep up, and those who are unprepared risk being left behind. Community colleges are on the front lines of the AI workforce readiness challenge, because their students – working adults, parenting learners, first-generation students – are in many ways the most vulnerable to the impacts of labor market disruption," said Lisa Larson, CEO of Education Design Lab. "These four colleges stepped forward because they recognize the role higher education must play in shaping the conversation about AI at work, not just responding to it. They are building something the whole field can learn from."

Recent research shows that AI adoption is reshaping the requirements of existing roles across industries, with demand for AI literacy skills growing more than 70% compared to 2025. At the same time, non-technical skills are rising in value: employers report that they increasingly seek creativity, problem-solving, and interpersonal abilities over skills more easily replicated by AI.

The four participating colleges were chosen not just for their interest in AI but for their institutional readiness: forward-leaning leadership, existing employer relationships, and a demonstrated willingness to engage in human-centered design. Rather than adopting AI tools wholesale, each college will work with employers to define what AI fluency actually looks like across their specific programs and student populations.

Each college will receive a $10,000 implementation grant, access to Riipen's work-based learning platform, and a facilitated design process led by the Lab. Pilot learning experiences launch in January 2027, with the program running through August 2027. Work-based learning experiences will be delivered through Riipen's platform, where students complete employer-designed projects reflecting real-world AI use cases. Employers provide structured feedback directly through the platform, creating a direct connection between classroom learning and labor market expectations.

"As AI transforms the economy, higher education institutions need to play an active role in building the learning experiences that can help their students navigate tomorrow's world of work," said Mara Woody, Ed.D., director of strategic partnerships at Riipen. "These colleges are seizing the opportunity to respond to the impact of AI, and they're not figuring it out alone. This cohort is building the community, shared learning, and real models that institutions across the country will want to learn from."

At the conclusion of the challenge, the Lab will publish an open-access library of tools, design criteria, sample curricula, and best practices that any institution can use, regardless of cohort participation.

About Education Design Lab: Education Design Lab (the Lab) is a national nonprofit and intermediary with a mission to co-design an inclusive, skills-based learn+work system that facilitates upward economic mobility and closes opportunity gaps for the New Majority Learner. Since 2013, the Lab has worked on the ground with over 1,200 colleges and organizations, 1,000 employers, and thousands of learners who need education programs and pathways that better serve their futures. Learn more: www.eddesignlab.org

About Riipen: Riipen is the world's leading online work-based learning platform and ecosystem, aiming to end underemployment and close the skills gap. Riipen partners with governments, colleges, universities, and short-cycle training providers to provide authentic, accessible online training for employment-focused skills and technical/professional proficiency. To date, Riipen has successfully implemented more than 20.9 million learning hours for over 318,000 learner experiences with more than 53,000 employers and 760+ institutions in nine countries. Learn more: www.riipen.com

SOURCE Education Design Lab