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Hartland Community College unveils draft strategic plan for Lincoln campus, sets measurable 2031 targets
Summary
Hartland Community College presented a draft regional strategic plan for its Lincoln campus, identifying local workforce gaps (healthcare, technical trades, CDL) and proposing measurable 2031 goals such as 35 annual CNA graduates and 12 annual CDL earners; the board will consider adoption later this spring.
Hartland Community College officials presented a draft regional strategic plan for the Lincoln campus on March 10, telling the City of Lincoln's Committee of the Whole the plan targets local workforce gaps and aims to expand short-term certificate pathways.
Joshua Crockett, a member of the Hartland board of trustees, opened the presentation and said the college seeks local feedback before the board considers adoption later this spring. Dr. Chris Downing, associate vice president, described an environmental scan and 30 listening sessions conducted since fall 2024 that informed the draft.
The presentation highlighted four local priorities the scan identified for Logan County's Lincoln area: a low labor-force participation rate (about 56% locally versus roughly 63% statewide), workforce shortages in health care, demand for technical education (including mechatronics, welding and advanced manufacturing skills), and a need for CDL licensing and training locally.
Downing said the college's enrollment data show about 28% of graduating seniors across the district did not immediately enroll in higher education in 2024, leaving about one in four seniors without a recorded postsecondary plan. Presenters said that group is a key target for short-term certificate programs that can place graduates in work quickly.
The draft sets specific, measurable goals to be reached by 2031 for the Lincoln campus, including: 35 annual graduates from Certified Nursing Assistant courses, 20 annual health-care certificate completers, 50 annual CTE-certified technical education certificate completions, 50 GED completions, 12 CDL earners annually, 20 residents connected to related certificates or degrees, 20 criminal-justice related certificate or degree completions, and 25 veterans connected to Hartland certificates or career paths. Joshua Crockett said the college will adjust targets as it refines course offerings and monitors trends.
Council members asked about program delivery and potential duplication with existing providers. A council member noted Eltech provides CNA training; presenters said Hartland aims to complement, not compete with, Eltech by focusing on nontraditional students and evening offerings. Officials also said roughly 30% of local Hartland students take classes in Lincoln in-person, 40% take classes online and 30% commute to the Normal campus.
Presenters emphasized employer partnerships in Lincoln's labor market (naming Lincoln Memorial Heritage and Arcadia as examples) and urged the city to contact the college with partnership ideas. The presentation closed with an invitation for council members and residents to tour the campus and submit feedback before the board's spring consideration.
Next steps: the board will review the plan later this spring; the committee did not take a formal vote during the presentation.
"We are your college. We are here for you and we want to serve your community well," Joshua Crockett said in closing, inviting follow-up questions and campus visits.
The committee meeting record shows the presentation and Q&A took place between SEG 018 and SEG 631 and councilmembers asked detailed follow-ups about curriculum, delivery modes and partnerships.
