Many youth, and women in particular, need to be offered alternative pathways to education, so that they gain the skills to earn a living, live in dignity and contribute to their communities and societies.

UNESCO: Over one quarter of young people in South and West Asia fail to complete primary school and lack skills for work | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

And I believe that community colleges like this one are critical pathways to the middle class that equip students with the skills and the education necessary to compete and win in this 21st-century economy.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Delivers Commencement Address at Miami Dade College | The White House

And so I think that the thing that will actually achieve stability in that region is if young people, if ordinary folks end up feeling that there are pathways for them to feed their families, get a decent job, get an education, aspire to a better life.

WHITEHOUSE: Presidential Press Conference on the 2012 Budget