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VPCC reports enrollment gains, new workforce programs and funding pressure
Summary
Virginia Peninsula Community College told the WJCC board it has increased enrollment, expanded dual-enrollment and fast-forward workforce programs, and plans hospitality and behavioral-health technician courses while noting state funding limitations that may affect future financial assistance.
Tracy Wright, director of campus and community initiatives at Virginia Peninsula Community College, told the Williamsburg-James City County School Board the college has seen enrollment gains, growth in dual enrollment and expansion of workforce programs — but that state funding constraints are creating pressure on student financial assistance.
Wright said students from James City County and Williamsburg make up "nearly 16% of our student body" and credited outreach efforts including a fast-track initiative and expanded college navigators. She said VPCC’s fast-forward workforce training has increased enrollment and completion rates and that the program’s state-funded financial support has grown dramatically since 2016 but recently exceeded available allotments.
Wright outlined two new local programs being launched: a hospitality training program and a behavioral-health technician assistant course designed to meet local employer needs. She also described a new academic building slated to open in 2029 and said VPCC is reopening a campus wellness center and continuing transfer and pathway partnerships with area four-year institutions.
Board members asked about access for local students if campus capacity is limited; Wright said she would follow up with specifics about course offerings and registration priority. She also described how VPCC changed its address-methodology to measure students by home address rather than attending high school, providing a clearer picture of locality-based enrollment.
What happens next: VPCC will follow up with the board on local access and course offerings; the board will consider that information as it reviews workforce and dual-enrollment partnerships.
