Wicker Co-chairs New Community College Caucus
WICKER CO-CHAIRS NEW COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAUCUS
By Congressman Roger F. Wicker
02/20/06
A bipartisan caucus has been created on Capitol Hill to bring attention to the unique role community colleges play in education and economic development activities across the U.S. The mission of the Community College Caucus will be to help educate Members of Congress about the valuable contributions these institutions are making and the challenges they face.
I am one of four co-chairs to head this initiative, along with Rep. Mike Castle (R-RI), Rep. David Wu (D-OR) and Brad Miller (D-NC.) We come from both parties and represent different regions of the country, but we are united in support and enthusiasm for our community colleges. More than 60 members have already joined the caucus. This forum will provide a greater opportunity to address issues in Washington affecting these institutions.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES STRONG IN MISS.
There are 1,157 public and private community colleges in the U.S., serving 12 million students each year. Nowhere is the community college system stronger than in Mississippi. Itawamba CC President Dr. David Cole and Northeast CC President Dr. Johnny Allen were among 200 trustees and presidents from across the U.S. who came to Washington recently to discuss their wide-ranging activities. We had a chance to talk about the programs offered at our state's 15 institutions to meet an ever-broadening range of needs.
In 1922, Mississippi became the first in the Union to create a statewide system of junior colleges. Today these colleges are providing affordable and accessible educational opportunities for nearly 70,000 full-time students. While most students are recent high school graduates, others enroll later in life to learn new skills or prepare to change careers. Still other individuals take advantage of adult education classes to acquire basic skills and earn a high school diploma. Enrollment in programs providing workforce training, retraining, professional development, and personal enrichment has almost tripled over the past five years and now totals nearly 200,000 people.
KEY ROLE IN JOB CREATION
Our community colleges have also become integral players in economic development and job creation activities. I have participated in events in recent weeks to welcome new business and industry to north Mississippi. I frequently hear industry managers and local leaders list the specialized training programs offered at area community colleges as a factor in securing new business ventures.
These institutions have made workforce training a high priority and have the unique ability to adapt programs to meet the specific needs of area business and industry. The instruction is helping individuals meet the challenge of new job opportunities as well as providing updated training for existing businesses.
COMMITMENT STRONG TODAY
Mississippi's community college system has been effective in preparing students for university-level studies as well as developing career skills to succeed in the workplace. That commitment to excellence remains strong today with strong leadership and quality instruction throughout the system. I am hopeful the activities of our Community College Caucus will lend support to these efforts in Mississippi and at their sister institutions across the nation.
http://www.house.gov/wicker/CollegeCaucus.htm