Obama – Community Colleges Can Play a Role in Improving the Ailing Economy
The Obama management reveals that community colleges, which are only two-year institutions, can significantly boost the ailing economy not only for now but for a long time coming as well.
President Obama, in a proposal to expose the controversial issue revealed The American Graduate Initiative. It is a 10- year, $12 billion full-proof strategy to make investment in community colleges. He announced this at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. It was noticed by the President that the economic crisis and declining US economy have considerably decreased the number of auto industry careers which gave Michigan its economic stamina.
The “painful part is that certain jobs that have been lost in the auto industry and somewhere else won’t be returning. They are victims of a varying economy,” Obama said, going on to add that “even before this recession strike, we were confronted with an economy that was merely not developing or maintaining enough fresh, well-paying jobs.
The serious investment in community colleges is a well intended move as the number of jobs needing an associate degree at minimum; will in years to come, be beyond those which need no college experience.
Obama further said that the jobs that will be developed will not be filled without the important training offered by community colleges enabling them to earn a graduate degree albeit associate.
The Education Undersecretary, Martha Kanter, agreed to the fact that it was a favorable time to apply the American Graduate Initiative as community colleges in the past have not, “done enough to make the students get through, to make them get into the work force and to get them through the higher-education transfer programs.” She was vigilant to add that the chief issue is to make opportunity available and access in such a time as this of universal economic turmoil.
Kanter and senior officials explain that the measures principally put emphasis on four areas meant for the assistance of students who are unable to completely sponsor themselves in addition to arranging resources required to renew the community colleges.
The measures take account of:
o Community college challenge awards, to help under funded colleges that are facing confined capacity and to develop partnerships with schools and businesses.
o Applying $2.5 billion to update the services in community colleges and modernize them. Obama said that the renewals will generate employment for the locals.
o Open online degree courses, to produce alternatives online as a tool that some believe can be more efficient than classroom instruction alone.
o The Access and Completion Fund, to offer performance-based scholarships and provide colleges the tools to devise more programs around work schedules.
At present, there are around 6 million Americans having enrollment in community colleges. The above measures are set to increase the number of Americans in those colleges as well as graduation levels.
There are 6 million Americans enrolled in community colleges. The management’s measures are seen as the base to help increase enrollment and graduation rates.
Opponent and disbelievers are bound to claim that in a time of fiscal insufficiency as this, setting aside such a huge amount to make investment in community colleges may not seem sensible but, “Instead of lining the pockets of particular interests, time has come to invest this money towards the interest of higher education in America,” as specified by Obama.