Community colleges increase chances of college education

In its Sept. 27 story, "College divide threatens to keep the poor in poverty," the Post-Intelligencer reported life stories of low-income students struggling to achieve their dreams of higher education.

Their stories illustrate all too clearly that low-income students continue having a difficult time getting a bachelor's degree, despite the rising importance of higher education. The reasons are complex, but one stands out above all -- increasing costs are pushing the dream of higher education out of reach for our poorest residents.

We respond to thousands of stories like this every year at our state's community and technical colleges. Community colleges democratize education. Along with the GI Bill, community colleges opened the doors to higher education to everyone, advantaged and disadvantaged. More than 41 percent of students who earn baccalaureate degrees in our state started their higher education at a community college, and 61 percent of these transfer students are the first generation in their family to attend college.

But the world has changed since the era of the GI Bill. The days when a high school diploma would provide a family wage are gone. Disadvantaged students face the brunt of those changes.

As chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges, I am proud that we educate the most diverse student body in the state and provide the major regional pathway for students of color who transfer to four-year colleges. New generations of students are an invaluable asset as we compete for jobs in the global economy.

We are fortunate our economy is growing stronger. According to the state Employment Security Department, during the next five years almost 16,000 jobs in King County will open in high-demand fields requiring community and technical college degrees and training, including computer support specialists, registered nurses and dental hygienists. Workers with an associate of arts degree will earn substantially more than workers with a high school diploma. Students who train in many of those fields also have the option to transfer to a four-year college.

Although jobs are being created, many employers report having difficulty finding qualified applicants. Our goal is to provide the opportunity for potential students to take advantage of these jobs.

At its recent leadership summit, the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce focused on the emerging global economy and its ramifications for our region. Along with four-year schools, colleges are contributing workers to the knowledge-based economy by offering degrees in areas such as biotechnology and nanotechnology. We are also offering an increasing array of specialized A.A. transfer degrees.

While striving to keep jobs from being outsourced, we must also focus on the "home-sourced" jobs that are based in this area and are vital to our community. These are the chefs, opticians, health care workers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled workers who are trained at community and technical colleges.

We thank our leadership in Olympia for support in the current state budget to positively affect our shared future, and to the P-I for drawing attention to the need for higher education for all levels of society.

A college education is the passport for success. However, rising costs are effectively diminishing the hope and expectation of higher education for students and families, especially among our region's new or less fortunate residents. It is imperative that communities, legislators and business leaders continue to promote education as the best return on investment for our economy. The costs for failing to invest are enormous.

Dr. Charles H. Mitchell is chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges, which serve more than 54,000 students every year at North Seattle Community College, South Seattle Community College, Seattle Central Community College and the Seattle Vocational Institute.

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