Community College News

With an unemployment rate of over 10 percent and 34 percent of the population considered “functionally illiterate,” any employment training program that is introduced to the city of Washington, D.C., should be a welcome addition. That must have been Wal-Mart’s philosophy when it announced that the company would partner with the city to launch a three-year, $3 million pilot program to train a new workforce of 2,000 D.C. residents. There is no doubt that Wal-Mart is hoping to gain some goodwill from the city through its efforts, but there are significant benefits to the residents struggling to make ends meet in the town.

New Training at the Local Community College

The new program introduced by Wal-Mart would provide 2,000 D.C. residents with essential retail training to help them land jobs in the industry. In the past, many retail companies have gone outside the city limits – to Maryland and Virginia – to find qualified workers to staff their stores. With this new program, more qualified applicants would be found right in the community, assisting a population with high illiteracy and unemployment rates to improve the standard of living within the city.

This video describes one of Wal-Mart's many community initiatives.

According to an article in the Washington Times, the $3 million contribution by Wal-Mart would be split between the new Community College of the District of Columbia and the Community Foundation for the

Community colleges have traditionally served students of all ages and from all walks of life, unlike other postsecondary schools, which primarily cater to high school graduates. The recent Great Recession impacted enrollment at community colleges across the country, although until recently, the precise areas of that impact were not yet known. A new study has helped clarify some specifics of how the recession has impacted enrollment at community colleges nationwide.

About the Study

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center conducted this study primarily to determine how the recent recession impacted college enrollment and persistence patterns. The study looked at thousands of institutions nationwide to determine the number of first-time students under 21 who enrolled in a postsecondary institution for the fall term between 2006 and 2010. According to a report at Inside Higher Ed, this report is designed to be the first in a series of reports titled "Signature Reports" by this organization.

What the Study Found

The study "Understanding the Recession's Impact on U.S. College Enrollment and Persistence Patterns" found that a larger number of students chose community college after high school. However, the larger numbers in this area did not seem to detract from enrollment at private colleges since these schools did not suffer the losses that many expected throughout the recession.

Dr. Don Hossler, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, told Fox that some of the findings from the study were not what researchers expected to find. Dr. Hossler said,

Community colleges have become popular for students of all ages to get the training they need to move into a rewarding and lucrative career. Despite concerns over budget cuts and diminishing completion rates, a new report by Community College Week shows that many schools nationwide are continuing to churn out large numbers of graduates. One secret to higher completion rates appears to be the inclusion of various healthcare degree programs in a school's course catalog. Although other industries are floundering in the sluggish economy, healthcare remains a strong option for those looking for a recession-proof career.

What the Numbers Show

The current report by Community College Week shows that over the past decade, the number of associate degrees offered by community colleges in the healthcare field grew by an astonishing 111 percent. In addition, certificates provided by community colleges in the healthcare industry grew by 240 percent during the same time frame. By the end of the 2009-2010 school year, community colleges nationwide awarded more than 177,000 healthcare degrees alone.

The study conducted by Community College Week used data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Set (IPEDS). According to the Community College Week website, while the information was complete for each college listed, all eligible colleges are not included on the current list. However, most schools not listed were relatively small institutions that rarely impacted the study's results. According to the publication's website, Community

New construction may be at a standstill for the housing market throughout the West Coast, but that slowdown hasn’t impacted construction enhancements at many community colleges around California. From new student centers to “green” classrooms, the projects at higher education institutions are currently making up a large percentage of the total construction occurring around the state. And since colleges had already earmarked portions of their budget for the enhancements, many schools are saving money, thanks to the lower cost of supplies and property over the past few years. We’ll look at how some California community colleges are gearing up for bigger, better campuses in the not-so-distant future.

50 Projects, $1.6 Billion

According to a recent report at Sign on San Diego, more than 50 construction projects are underway at community colleges and universities across California. The total projected cost for the combined effort is around $1.6 billion, a massive boon to a slumping construction industry where only a few housing projects are still up and running. In addition to the current projects, much more is waiting to begin, ensuring the state's construction industry will continue to find work and revenue for some years.

Boone Hellmann, University of California, San Diego vice chancellor for facilities, design, and construction, told Sign on San Diego, “I think it’s extraordinarily fortunate to have an influx of work in both the community college and university sectors. Over the past two years, I’ve had contractors tell me we’ve been a stalwart

Community colleges have historically offered a wide range of degree programs to help individuals get the training they need to move quickly into the career of their choice. To keep up with the recent surge in community college enrollment that has occurred during the current economic slowdown, many community colleges are ramping up all new degree programs to broaden their offerings even further. Some of the new programs are provided in partnership with local four-year universities, while others are geared toward up and coming industries where employment opportunities show great promise. We’ll take a look at a few of the colleges across the nation that are working to give students an eclectic selection of degree programs.

Ivy Tech Expanding Programs

Ivy Tech is one of the colleges planning to offer a wider choice in degree programs for the next academic year. According to a report in the Indiana Economic Digest, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recently approved new certificate and degree programs for a number of the Ivy Tech campuses in the state. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning degree program will be expanding to include certification, as well as an associate’s degree. The associate degree program in dental hygiene will also enlarge to incorporate a technical certificate in dental assisting.

Ivy Tech will also be adding an associate of science program for those interested in entering the field of engineering. The pre-engineering degree will prepare students for entry-level work in their