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Guest opinion: 2-year colleges must grow to meet demands
Since the first public two-year college opened more than 100 years ago, community colleges have experienced considerable change in their purpose and mission. They have expanded beyond their original academic or vocational focus to meet a wide variety of educational, economic and social needs.
By JOHN CECH
MSU-B College of Technology
Today, community colleges provide a university transfer dimension (preparing students for four-year institutions) while assuming a key role in occupational skills training and adult basic education. With open admissions and lower tuition policies, community colleges serve the needs of a diverse student body, ranging from people without any type of educational credential to those with advanced academic degrees.
Nontraditional students
Community colleges are taking on a greater role as primary providers of our nation’s workforce training and education. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of community colleges grew about 14 percent with enrollments increasing about 32 percent. Today, the almost 1,200 community colleges in the nation educate nearly half of all students enrolled in higher education degrees (Report to the Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, October 2004).
According to data compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics, community college students are more likely than four-year college students to be 24 years of age or older, not enroll directly after high school, attend part time and work full time while enrolled.
The role and scope of "two-year education" is a major focus of the Shared Leadership Workforce Development committee, which is one of three committees formed under the new Montana Shared Leadership Initiative, a joint initiative by the Board of Regents and the State Board of Public Education.
While nearly 50 percent of the nation’s postsecondary students are enrolled in two-year community and technical colleges across the nation, Montana’s public two-year colleges (community colleges and colleges of technology) account for only about 15 percent of the state’s postsecondary enrollment. According to the Montana Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 80.5 percent of all jobs in the state require two years of postsecondary education or less. In addition, the bureau confirms that some of the occupations projected to grow the fastest in Montana by 2010 represent the foundation of our economy. Examples include: computer support specialists (1,000 new jobs anticipated), computer network administrators (600 new jobs anticipated), automotive technicians (nearly 1,000 new jobs anticipated), medical assistant (400 new jobs anticipated), oil refinery operators (125 new jobs anticipated), computer-aided design and drafting (over 300 new jobs anticipated), and the list goes on and on.
Billings partnerships
MSU-Billings Chancellor Ron Sexton has established a clear pathway for the evolution of the University’s College of Technology, which will enable it to respond to our greater region like a comprehensive community college. This is being accomplished through the establishment of new business and industry partnerships, partnerships within the MSU-Billings University itself, and partnerships with area agencies such as School District No. 2 (Cross Roads School, Adult Education, and Career Center), Big Sky Economic Development Authority, Celebrate Billings, Head Start, YWCA and the Billings Job Service. The MSU-Billings College of Technology has set its sights on evolving to better meet the business and industry needs of our region through partnerships with the College of Professional Studies, short-term workforce training opportunities, and new four-year university transfer opportunities through partnerships with the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Allied Health Professions and the College of Education.
Institutions such as the MSU-Billings College of Technology will play an even greater role in the health, growth and stability of the workforce infrastructures of our communities. As an example, Boise State University is pursuing a model with their College of Technology for expanding workforce development into a wider area of the Boise Valley. They hope to help attract business growth in Boise and surrounding communities of Nampa and Caldwell by expanding the scope of their trained workforce. The Shared Leadership Workforce Development Committee is on the right track by taking a close look at how it might form recommendations to strengthen the role of two-year education in Montana.
John E. Cech, dean of Montana State University-Billings College of Technology, can be reached at [email protected].
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
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