Policy shifts at the federal level are creating headwinds for community colleges that serve as regional workforce engines. Reporting shows the Trump administration’s battles with higher education extend beyond elite universities into two‑year institutions, potentially undermining workforce training and apprenticeship pathways that community colleges provide. Separately, National University launched a Dissertation Completion Pathway to help faculty and staff finish Ph.D. work and address high ABD rates — a targeted institutional response to workforce development and credential shortfalls. The two developments together highlight how federal policy and institutional innovation are reshaping community college roles in local economic ecosystems.