March 30, 2018
Commission Update

Sharing how PA's community colleges are responsive to the needs of the local communities they serve.

News from Pennsylvania's community colleges

The construction industry is projected to add nearly 800,000 new jobs by 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and there is a shortfall of qualified candidates to fill those positions.

The Community College of Beaver County is helping address that shortfall by launching a program for high school students interested in construction trades.

CCBC recently received a $500,000 gift from Mascaro Construction to establish the Mascaro Construction Academy, a program that will enroll students from participating districts across Beaver County.

"This new partnership between Mascaro Construction and CCBC is uniquely and powerfully positioned to help address the challenges facing the construction industry today, to motivate students, and provide workforce-ready education that will develop the pipeline of talent our region needs in the future," CCBC President Dr. Chris Reber said.

Associate degree graduates at Delaware County Community College will be able to earn a business degree at West Chester University without having to leave DCCC's Marple Campus, under an agreement signed by leaders of the two institutions.

West Chester University faculty will teach the courses at the college and preference for the program will be given to Business Management majors who graduated with an associate degree in Business Administration at DCCC.

The agreement offers students convenience of location, ample free parking, and on-site admissions and academic advising from West Chester University representatives. Qualified students will have access to events and facilities at the main campuses of both higher education institutions.

"This agreement paves the way for our graduates to have even greater access to a baccalaureate degree from the College's number one transfer institution," DCCC President Dr. L. Joy Gates Black said. "It also enables students who find it difficult to get to West Chester the opportunity to complete their bachelor's degree in a location close to home, the College's Marple Campus."

When Jennifer Kalenkoski's aunt became ill, she put her college plans on hold to help her family care for her. She took note of the way the nurses treated her aunt, and that experience led her to pursue a career in the healthcare field.

Jennifer enrolled at Lehigh Carbon Community College and took classes while working full time at Amazon. She studied nursing and became involved in the LCCC chapter of the Student Nurses' Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP). 

After graduating in May 2017, Jennifer is now president of the National Student Nurses' Association and represents student nurses at conferences around the world.

" LCCC was flexible. It fit into my schedule," Jennifer recalled. "The two biggest things that made me choose LCCC were flexibility and affordability."
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National higher education news roundup