For Many Students, Community Colleges Offer Better Deal and Faster Career Track

Though many graduating high school students have turned to university systems as their next career steps, it seems a growing number of youth are deciding that a community college education offers a cheaper — and perhaps quicker — path to entering the real world.

About 8 million U.S. students attended community college in 2011 — up from about 6 million in 2010, according to the National Association of Community Colleges.

And the skill sets being taught at these schools is shifting, too; Those in charge of community colleges say private companies are all but begging them to train more students to fill in-demand jobs, especially in growing areas such as advanced manufacturing, emergency response and medical fields.

The STEM program is right on track with these demands.

STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing — is an education path that all students in the district have the opportunity to follow, and a concept that Thomas Jefferson Middle School teacher Alec Belling said is incorporated into much of the school's curriculum — whether it's a science, math, english or business class.

"We need to get students exposed to these STEM skills," he said. "Research shows that the jobs these kids are going to be applying for are going to require (such problem-solving) skills."

An affordable change

For 21-year-old Vinnie Haynes, the $1,900 annual tuition at his two-year community college is not only a steal in the world of six-figure higher education price tags — it’s a ticket to a thriving career.

“Basically they offer the same courses as a four-year college, and it costs a quarter of the price,” said the welding student at Washtenaw Community College in Michigan. Even better, some prospective employers in his field will pay him to complete a four-year degree.

Despite a recent leveling off of enrollments, community colleges nationwide have enjoyed a massive expansion of student interest and attendance. Haynes and millions like him are seeing community college programs as a way to quickly land great-paying jobs in industries that are truly hiring — and for far less money than they’d pay for a typical bachelor’s degree.

According to the National Association of Community Colleges:

• Nearly half of all undergraduates in the United States attend a community college.
• Community colleges educate 59 percent of new nurses, and 80 percent of firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMTs.

"A lot of people thought manufacturing was gone. What we call the high-tech jobs are still here," said Maria Coons, executive director of Workforce and Strategic Alliances at "A lot of them are made-to-order, and they are very specialized."

At the high school level, Belling said the STEM program offers students interested in engineering to get experience that can be applied toward college credit. The district hopes to soon also offer classes in the bio-medical field.

Belling said many students continue with the courses with a career-oriented focus in mind. "(They realize) this is a key (that) is going to open up a door for my career," he said.

Market Forces

Community colleges naturally tout the obvious cost and time advantage they hold over traditional four-year schools, but what does the labor market have to say?

The most recent federal unemployment numbers show the overall economy still favors those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. They have a 4.1 percent unemployment rate versus 7.1 percent for those with an associate’s degree or some community college. But both of those numbers trump the experience of workers who choose not to pursue any education after high school. Their unemployment rate stood at 8.7 percent in July. (And 12.7 percent for those who don’t complete high school.)

About 57 percent of job openings between 2006 and 2016 will require some form of postsecondary-education, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Coons said community colleges work best when they reach out to their communities and train for who is hiring.

Harper started a program to connect local high-tech manufacturers with its graduates, providing internships for students who complete a basic certification while they work on their degrees.

They expected to get 30 jobs to offer students, but they got 87.

And even as the semester was about to start, Coons’ phone was still ringing with employers calling her to get in on the program.

“We still have manufacturers calling us left and right,” she said. “Their workforce is aging. They have orders they can’t fill. They don’t have a pipeline of workers.”

A community college certification not only opens doors, she said, but it ups the pay scale these students can expect. “One manufacturer said that, walking in off the street, they could pay you $10-12 an hour, but with a certification from Harper you double that. High-end operators can make double that,” she said.

Haynes said he looked into welding—an advanced manufacturing field—because he knows he'll find a job when he's done. “There are tons of job opportunities,” he said.

Job vs. career

But aren't advanced manufacturing programs training workers for dead-end jobs?

Coons said no, that the manufacturers offer opportunity for advancement. “These are careers; they’re not just jobs any more,” she said. “And there’s lateral movement—purchasing, supply chain, and sales. There’s also the engineering and design pieces.”

At the end of the day, Coons said, many students are less concerned about where their degree is from than how quickly they can finish and how much debt they and their parents can avoid. “To me, education now isn’t where you are going, but what you want to do,” she said.

Meier agreed. Once you get a degree and start your career, the institution on the certificate isn’t so important, she said.

“A degree is a degree.”

More coverage coming

Patch will take an indepth look at the STEM program within the Port Washington-Sauville School District. Sign up for the FREE Patch daily newsletter so you don't miss the coverage.