McCrory proposes job training investment for community colleges

Gov. Pat McCrory and President Barack Obama have agreed on at least one thing recently — community colleges are an integral part of the changing economy.

Earlier this month, McCrory proposed a reinvestment of $16.8 million to finance community college programs designed to close the gap between available workers’ skill sets and what employers need to fill jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

The money comes from savings generated from changes to remedial education. Instead of semester-long remedial classes, students could take shorter modules for subject areas they struggle in.

Last week, President Barack Obama proposed a similar initiative — $500 million in competitive grants to promote community colleges and local businesses working together to develop effective job training programs.

“Community colleges really are where North Carolina’s workforce receives training,” said Megen Hoenk, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Community College System.

Hoenk said the funding is essential so community colleges can improve course areas such as welding, radiography and nursing.

“Those courses are very expensive and the equipment for them is very expensive,” she said. “In order to stay up with industry standards and needs, it does take a considerable effort.”

The program aims to target occupations that do not necessarily require an undergraduate or graduate degree.

Wake Tech Community College is projected to receive more than $850,000 and Durham Tech will receive about $321,000.

Individual community colleges have flexibility in deciding how they want to spend their money, depending on the needs of the employers served by the community.

Rob Schofield, director of research and policy development at the left-leaning N.C. Policy Watch, said the additional funding is beneficial to students, but it does not make up for other cuts to higher education.

“In general, this is going to take a larger public commitment to workforce development,” Schofield said.

Harry Painter, a reporter at the Pope Center, a right-leaning higher-education think tank, said workforce development programs help community colleges achieve their educational mission.

“You can recognize where there is demand and try to meet it, which is what private companies do all the time,” Painter said. “From the governor’s standpoint, I think that’s what he’s been all about — trying to meet the high demand for skilled workers.”

Painter said the changes to remedial education help community college students move to job-training courses more quickly.

“The intention is to focus on the individual student’s needs instead of having a diverse group of students with different needs sit in the same classroom and take a semester of class that they already know 90 percent of,” he said.

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