Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Community college presidents tell Senate panel enrollment is surging and capacity is strained
Summary
Four Idaho community college presidents told the Senate Education Committee that enrollments and wait lists have jumped, driving requests for capacity-building funding and partnerships with employers to expand workforce training.
Four community college presidents briefed the Idaho Senate Education Committee on enrollment growth, capacity limits and workforce training needs and urged state support for expanded facilities and staffing.
The presidents — Gordon Jones of College of Western Idaho, Dean Fisher of College of Southern Idaho, Lori Barber of College of Eastern Idaho and Nick Swain of North Idaho College — described sustained increases in students seeking certificates, career-technical credentials and associate degrees and warned that program wait lists and classroom limits are preventing many from enrolling.
The presidents said their colleges are serving returning residents and local employers with training that moves students into middle- and higher-paying jobs. “We prepare students for roles that by and large are paying between $50,000 and $100,000 in the labor market,” Gordon Jones, president of the College of Western Idaho, told the committee. Jones said CWI enrolls more…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
