For Immediate Release (00-12)
Date: April 4, 2000
Contact: Steve Simon, 240-567-7952 (Pager #301-930-3880)

(Montgomery County, Maryland) -- Montgomery College and other two-year colleges across the nation are playing a critical role in delivering skills to keep leading industries competitive and have become the de facto provider of choice for computer training, according to national survey findings released today in Washington, DC.

Conducted jointly by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and ACT, the “Faces of the Future” survey examined a nationally representative sampling of both credit and non-credit students from the 10.4 million students enrolled in the nation’s 1,132 community, junior, and technical colleges.  Among key findings are:

• Students from 18 to 80 are turning to community colleges for computer-related education, giving the colleges a critical role in narrowing the “digital divide.”  Gaining computer/technology skills was reported as a major reason for attending for 18% of all credit respondents.  This was especially true for roughly one-quarter of first-generation students (23%), single parents (25%), and unemployed individuals (24%).  The percentage of students seeking computer skills increased with age: 24% of students aged 26-39; 32% of students aged 40-59; and 35% of students aged 60 or older.

•  Community colleges are a critical link in producing the quantity and quality of workers needed to fuel the exploding technology industry, a fact that may fundamentally change the nature of non-credit coursework.  Over 1 in 10 (12%) credit students who reported they were training for a new career were studying in a computer or communications-related field, including 16% of students aged 40-59.  Currently most states do not fund non-credit classes, and most 4-year colleges and universities do not accept for transfer coursework completed for high-demand certifications such as Novell and Cisco Systems.

•  Students who have already attained advanced degrees choose community colleges to upgrade skills. Almost one-third (28%) of non-credit students at respondent colleges had already earned bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees.

• Community colleges play a substantial role generally in preparing students for today’s workplace.  Among credit students, 60% said the major reason for taking classes was to meet occupational requirements.  Nearly half of full-time, employed credit students said that increasing their earning power was a major motivator, and 37% said the major reason for attending was to make a career change.  On the non-credit side, 13% of students said their employers’ requiring them to take classes was a major reason they enrolled, a finding that correlates with the increasing amount of customized “contract” training for business community colleges have reported over the last decade.

• In a decade of steeply rising tuitions, community colleges are the best and sometimes only hope to ensure career and earning competitiveness for the least skilled and most economically disadvantaged.  Of non-credit students, 29% who were unemployed and seeking work reported public assistance as a source of funds; 18% reported it as a major source of funds.  Over half of community college students are first-generation students whose parents did not attend college.  These students are more likely to be attending part-time, older, minority, and seeking job-specific skills.  Among first-generation students, 22% reported household incomes of less than $20,000, and they were more likely to have come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken.

• Far from the “second choice” status community colleges have long endured, students who “try the product” report positive reactions.  More than 80% of students from respondent colleges  were satisfied or highly satisfied with their community college experience.

• “That statistic is a ringing endorsement from students,” said ACT President Richard L. Ferguson.  “Our survey points to the effectiveness of community college curriculum and its impact on helping people achieve their life and career goals.  Community colleges are building the skills of the nation’s workforce, helping bridge the digital divide and giving people a convenient and cost-effective way to pursue lifelong learning.”

Two years ago, in response the growing demand for information technology workers and in recognition of the importance of technology in today's economy, Montgomery College launched its Information Technology Institute. Last year, the college had over 15,000 enrollments in technology-related courses, including 11,000 in credit courses and 4,000 in non-credit offerings. The spectrum of course offerings included basic computer skills through advanced technical training in computer programming, network administration and database administration. The College's strategic partnerships with Microsoft's Authorized Academic Training Program and Oracle's international Oracle Academic Initiative, and other public-private partnerships have fueled the institute's early growth.

"Montgomery College has always been responsive to the needs of its students and its community," said Charlene R. Nunley, president of Montgomery College. "Our commitment to keeping pace with the rapidly changing technology-based economy -- through our Information Technology Institute, our biotechnology program and other initiatives -- is another example of how the community college is, once again, rising to meet the demands of our students and our workforce."

“Over their 100-year history, community colleges have significantly expanded their role in keeping the great ‘engine’ of this nation running,” said AACC President David Pierce.  “But they have often gone underfunded and unrecognized for the contribution they make to the academic enterprise.  This study documents the essential and, in the case of computer literacy,
leading role the colleges are playing.”

AACC and ACT plan to make the national survey an annual activity to provide ongoing data about this largest sector of higher education.

ACT, Inc. is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred assessment, research, information and program management services in the broad areas of education planning, career planning, and workforce development.  Each year ACT serves millions of people in high schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses and governmental agencies – nationally and internationally.  Though designed to meet a wide array of needs, all ACT programs and services have one guiding purpose: to help people achieve education and career goals by providing information for life’s transitions.

The American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing more than 1,100 community, junior, and technical colleges and their 10.4 million students.  The colleges enroll almost half of all U.S. undergraduates.