Workforce Strategy Center

Davis Jenkins is senior consultant for WSC and senior research associate at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Davis conducts research on how to increase access to economic opportunity by disadvantaged youths and adults. A key focus of his work is finding ways to strengthen the capacity of public postsecondary institutions, particularly community colleges, to educate economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals for gainful employment in a knowledge economy. Currently, Davis is directing a series of studies that use longitudinal student unit record data collected by state agencies to chart the paths of students within and across educational systems and identify the determinants of educational and labor market success. He is also co-directing a study of community college institutional effectiveness with CCRC director Thomas Bailey. His recent publications include: Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill Adult Students: Lessons for Community College Policy and Practice from a Statewide Longitudinal Tracking Study (with David Prince of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges), and The Career Pathways How-to Guide (with Christopher Spence of Workforce Strategy Center). Davis is one of the originators of the “career pathways” concept, and advises states, colleges and local agencies on aligning public resources for education, workforce and human services to support educational and economic advancement for individuals and better address regional labor force needs. Davis has 25 years of experience as a researcher, evaluator, consultant and program manager on projects related to education for employment in the U.S. and abroad. He has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from Carnegie Mellon University.