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SURVEY SHOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGES KEY IN TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY
Colleges lead in providing computer
literacy, essential skills
In a new technology-driven economy, our nation’s community colleges are
playing a critical role in delivering the skills needed to keep leading
industries competitive. Community colleges have also become the de facto provider of choice for
computer training,
according to a recently released national survey.
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CONTACT:
Ann M. Garten
Public Affairs Director
(714) 438-4605
May 30, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Copy by Julia Driscoll
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The survey, conducted jointly by the American Association of Community
Colleges (AACC) and ACT, examined a national sample of 100,000 community
college, junior college, and technical college students enrolled in both credit
and non-credit classes. Some key findings include:
- 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 vital education link in providing the 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.Among
non-credit respondents aged 40 or
older, fully one-third say gaining
computer/technical skills is the major reason for
enrolling. Community college leaders
have
expressed concern that most states do not fund non-credit classes, and most
4-year colleges and
universities do not accept
transfer of coursework completed for
high-demand certifications such
as Novell and
Cisco Systems.
A Coast Community College District random survey of Orange County residents, conducted by a California research firm, confirmed the findings of the national
survey. Eighty-six percent of those interviewed indicated that they would be more likely
to enroll in a class knowing that “local community colleges have increased the number of courses
dealing with computers and modern technology.”
Coast Community College District is the fourth largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment and comprises Coastline Community College
headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College and
KOCE-TV located in
Huntington Beach, and Orange Coast College located in Costa Mesa.
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