A National Science Foundation‑backed National Applied AI Consortium places community colleges at the center of federal workforce strategy for AI, awarding $2.8 million to build applied training pathways and local employer partnerships, the NSF and consortium leaders said. The initiative reframes community colleges as primary producers of AI technicians and frontline practitioners rather than elite research universities. Leaders argue that technicians who design, maintain and operate AI systems should be trained at institutions that historically serve as gateways to middle‑class careers. Community colleges and regional employers should expect federal funding opportunities and new expectations to deliver stackable credentials, apprenticeships and rapid curriculum updates. President and workforce officers must align industry certifications, data‑sharing agreements, and credit articulation with four‑year programs to scale the initiative.