[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 135 (Monday, September 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12142-S12143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. CANTWELL:
  S. 1677. A bill to encourage partnerships between community colleges 
and 4-year institutions of higher education; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss one of the most 
important issues facing our country today. How we prepare our students 
to compete for the jobs that are still in demand today and the jobs 
that will be in demand tomorrow. In order to address this issue, we 
must increase our support for the entire education and training 
continuum--incuding secondary schools, community colleges, 4-year 
colleges and universities.
  Today, I want to focus on one key part of this continuum: community 
and technical colleges. Nationwide, there are now more than 1,100 of 
these institutions, which enroll 10.4 million students. For over a 
century, community colleges have grown and changed with the times. No 
other segment of higher education is more responsive to its community 
and workforce needs than the community college. Whether providing 
academic preparation for a 4-year degree, or technical training for a 
job requiring a community college credential, 2-year institutions play 
a very significant role in creating a skilled workforce.
  However, transfer rates are low: only about one quarter to one third 
of those students who intend to transfer to a 4-year institution 
actually do so. These low transfer rates and the continuing challenges 
employers face in finding skilled workers mean that we must strengthen 
the connections between community colleges and 4-year institutions and 
between community colleges and employers.
  I am introducing a bill today that will address these issues. The 
Community College Partnership Act of 2003 will encourage partnerships 
between community and technical colleges and 4-year colleges and 
universities. This bill will provide $70 million for 6 to 12 grants to 
partnerships between 2- and 4-year institutions to identify and address 
barriers to staying in school, to transferring to a 4-year institution, 
and to responding to the demand for skilled workers in high-quality, 
emerging and established industries.
  The fact is employers depend on skilled workers to provide services 
and produce goods. Even in this time of high unemployment, some 
employers are having hard times finding skilled workers. For example, 
according to the American Hospital Association, there are 126,000 
nursing positions that are unfilled across the country. In Washington 
State, there are currently 2,564 nursing vacancies even though our 
State ranks as one of the highest unemployment States. Why are these 
jobs going begging? The answer is that we have a lack of trained 
workers.
  From personal experience as both an employee and as an employer, I 
understand the importance of skills in the private sector. When I 
changed careers several years ago, I was able to succeed as a software 
company executive because I had the chance to get a good basic 
education. I come from a working-class family, but I was able to be the 
first in my family to get a college degree, thanks to the Federal Pell 
Grant program.
  As an employer in that software company, I realized that because of 
the fast pace of change we needed to hire a workforce of people who 
were prepared to respond quickly to changing situations. We also had to 
hire people who could create new ways of doing business literally 
overnight. I strongly believe that a good basic education coupled with 
lifelong training opportunities are key to equiping workers with the 
types of decision-making abilities necessary to be successful in 
today's economy.
  Yet, we are failing at our job of preparing workers. There is a 
crisis in our education and training system. Underfunding is a 
significant issue. Both 2- and 4-year institutions lack the capacity to 
respond to demand. More State and Federal investment is essential. 
However, to truly close the skills gap, we must also address the other 
problems 2- and 4-year institutions face. These problems center on 
keeping students in the system and advancing them to the next level.
  The sad reality is that along the way to a good basic education, 
students get diverted away from their goals. In high school, they may 
lack information about the opportunities higher education promises. If 
they make it into a community college, they may be forced to abandon 
their education because the opportunity cost of not earning a wage is 
too high. If they do earn an associate's degree, the transition to a 4-
year institution is fraught with challenges.

[[Page S12143]]

  Agreements between 2- and 4-year institutions to accept students may 
not exist. Credits may not easily transfer. Community or technical 
college students may need additional tutoring, mentoring or support to 
succeed in a 4-year institution. Programs and schedules may be 
structured to preclude work and study--a growing necessity as college 
costs rise.
  These are significant barriers than can and should be addressed. That 
is why I am introducing the Community College Partnership Act today. I 
am proud of this bill and believe that it will go a long way toward 
closing our skills gap. In addition, however, I remain committed to 
addressing the significant funding shortfalls that our educational 
institutions face. Ensuring students get the skills necessary for our 
new economy is essential. We must meet the needs of employers who have 
unfilled jobs now, as well as employers in emerging technologies that 
will provide significant job opportunities in the coming years.
                                 ______