OLMIS

by Brenda Turner
Published Dec-29-2008

Overview New Programs Career Pathways Certificates Enrollment and Program Completers Current Programs Programs Recently Suspended or Deleted Required Education Where are Students Employed? Summary

Oregon's community colleges are essential to our state's workforce and economic development. In 2007, 8,357 students graduated from Oregon's 17 community colleges. Some graduates will continue on to universities. Others will take new jobs across the wide range of Oregon industries. However, the majority of community college students are taking classes to improve their work, personal, or artistic skills, without seeking a certificate or degree. Community colleges are in the unique position to serve the needs of these students and to adjust quickly as student and workforce needs change.

Community college administrators continually make decisions regarding programs offered in an effort to stay current with workforce needs, and students must make informed decisions about courses in which they enroll based on their own occupational and personal goals. A great deal of uncertainty regarding the future economy surrounds colleges and students. No one can accurately predict what the economy and the job market are going to look like in the future. Colleges and students must make the most informed decisions possible to avoid a surplus or shortage of trained workers.

What programs are students enrolling in? How are colleges modifying their list of offerings? What jobs require the training provided by the state's community colleges?

When community colleges seek to start new programs, they must complete an approval process. The process is designed to make sure new programs meet Oregon Board of Education standards, won't adversely affect enrollment at other schools, and will meet specific needs in the labor market. The Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, Office of Professional Technical Education, oversees the approval process and provides technical assistance to community college administrators and staff.

From July 2007 to June 2008, community colleges had 58 new programs approved (Table 1). Individuals completing these programs earn a certificate of completion or an associate degree.

Colleges seek to start new programs based on perceived need. In some cases, the need stems from growth in a particular industry. In others, new technology is the trigger. Colleges are also beginning to offer degrees and certificates that go beyond the traditional community college programs of study. Last year Chemeketa Community College began offering a certificate in web development, Treasure Valley Community College began offering an associate degree in horse production and training, and Umpqua Community College started offering a wine making associate degree.

Career pathway certificates are a new option offered at many community colleges. The certificates are awarded to students who have completed a block of classes in their program that represents a certain degree of technical proficiency in the subject. The certificate allows students access to job opportunities requiring the skill learned. A career pathway certificate also allows students flexibility to gain more work experience along their career path.

As of November 2008, nine community colleges in Oregon are offering a total of 74 career pathway certificates. More community colleges will offer career pathway certificates in the future.

Community colleges around the state had about 86,064 full time students enrolled during the 2007-2008 academic year.

There are several reasons students attend community colleges (Graph 1). Some take adult continuing education classes (4.1%), such as yoga, furniture refinishing, and flower arranging. Students in these classes usually take just one class at a time. Other students, who start their four-year education at a community college and plan to transfer their lower division courses (LDC) to a university (45.8%), usually take several classes at once. Some students are looking for developmental education (19.6%), which includes programs such as English as a second language (ESL) and General Educational Development (GED). These classes offer skills that can be used in the workplace, but are usually not job-specific. The courses may provide college credit.

The remaining 30.5 percent of students seek education in professional and technical programs. Here, students generally find job-ready training. Professional and technical programs include business, photography, health, and drafting technology courses. These programs generally offer a certificate of completion or associate of applied science degree for graduates. Students completing professional and technical programs qualify for jobs in their field upon graduation. Some actually start work in their field before they finish school.

Of the more than 86,000 full-time students who attended community colleges in 2007 and 2008, over 26,000 entered professional and technical programs. This is a very different number than the 8,350 degrees and certificates awarded during that time. What about the others who enrolled in professional and technical courses? Many community college students do not enroll with the intention of receiving a degree or certificate. They are simply looking to enhance their skills, or learn a new skill to use in their current job. This may be a computer class to learn a particular software program, or a foreign language course to learn new language skills. Many take several years to complete a program because of the increasing costs of attending college, decreasing financial aid, and the competing demands of jobs and family.

Is there a demand for students completing the most common community college programs? Liberal arts program completers dominated the top-10 list for graduates in 2006-07 (Table 2). Many completing a liberal arts program are finishing core classes, and going on to four-year colleges where they focus on more specific career fields. Over 3,800 students received an associate degree or certificate in liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities. Employers are seeking workers whose skills and talents are aligned with the expectations and needs of the business. This can include increased skills, a degree, certificate, or at least some postsecondary training in a specific field. Liberal arts graduates who are looking for a job directly after completing programs will qualify for jobs that are generally lower skilled and do not require specific backgrounds.

Health program completers followed liberal arts. Business management and administrative services came in third. The Oregon Employment Department's occupational projections show health occupations are among the fastest growing. Those completing health-related programs are trained for very specific occupations. For example, someone completing a dental hygienist program has skills specifically for that occupation. On the other hand, individuals with a degree or certificate in a business-related program may qualify for many different occupations. Some business-related occupations are expected to grow in the state while others are not.

When community colleges seek to cut programs, they may look for programs with low enrollment. They may take funding into consideration and look for those programs that are expensive to operate, which typically include many professional and technical programs. Or, perhaps a local employer just laid off workers in a particular occupation, leaving plenty of trained individuals in a particular field looking for work. Continuing to offer training at least in the short term may result in an over-supply of workers. And there may be other reasons. A school will sometimes temporarily suspend a program with the intention of reinstating it within a few years. Other times, programs with little interest are permanently dropped from the college catalog.

From August 2007 through September 2008, 10 community colleges deleted or suspended programs offering certificates or associate's degrees. The programs were in fields ranging from office support to hospitality to healthcare; they included bookkeeping, automotive technology, drafting, forest management, and more.

Each of the more than 700 occupations used to collect statistics by the Oregon Employment Department has an assigned education and training requirement. This level represents the minimum that employers generally require before they will hire someone into a particular occupation.

More than 560,000 Oregon jobs in 2006 required at least some post-secondary training as a minimum qualification (Table 3). This includes any training beyond high school. More than 65,000 required an associate degree. On average, over 2,200 job openings every year from 2006 to 2016 will require an associate degree. There are about twice as many that require postsecondary training, which includes any education or training beyond high school but not an associate degree.

Some 25,686 of the 34,071 students in the state's Performance Reporting Information System who left community colleges in 2007 were employed the following quarter. More than 38 percent were 25 or younger. One out of every six was employed in either accommodation and food services or retail. Examples of accommodation and food services employers include restaurants, hotels and motels, and food services and drinking places. Examples of retail industry employers include department stores, florists, and book stores. Nearly 13 percent were employed in health care and social assistance, which includes hospitals, nursing care facilities, and child day care centers.

Oregon's community colleges have a unique and important role in the continuum of education and workforce development in the state. Community colleges prepare Oregonians for the changing labor market, whether students are already employed and seeking additional skills, or training for new careers. Community colleges strive to provide programs that are needed and desired by the state's workforce today and in the future. In addition, self-improvement, or community education courses, help individuals fulfill personal goals. Community colleges continue to work at providing workforce education and training needed for workforce and economic development in their district and the state.