[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 145 (Thursday, October 8, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               OBAMA, THE ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 2009

  Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the 
following article entitled ``Obama, the Economy and Community 
Colleges.'' This article was printed in the Bergen Record on September 
15, 2009:

                [From the Bergen Record, Sept. 15, 2009]

               Obama, the Economy and Community Colleges

                         (By G. Jeremiah Ryan)

       If most experts are to be believed, the recession has 
     bottomed out and we are about to begin the process of 
     rebuilding our economy. While this is good news, it is hardly 
     comforting to the thousands of New Jerseyans who are out of 
     work or underemployed.
       That's because although business activity is starting to 
     pick up, job creation isn't. In fact, the same experts who 
     are predicting the start of an economic rebound readily admit 
     that the labor market will continue to deteriorate well into 
     next year, and they expect the unemployment rate to hit 
     double digits.
       The question, then, is: What can we do to prevent further 
     erosion in the job market and jump-start employment? 
     President Obama answered that question back in July when, in 
     a major public policy address, he unveiled a plan to spend 
     $12 billion over the next 10 years to help the nation's 
     community colleges train people for the jobs that will be 
     needed in tomorrow's economy.


                              Partnership

       By looking to community colleges for help, the president is 
     harnessing a job-training infrastructure that already exists. 
     No need to reinvent the wheel. Two-year colleges have been 
     preparing students for employment for as long as they have 
     existed. More recently, they have taken the lead in 
     partnering with government agencies to provide customized job 
     training for businesses in their communities.
       Bergen Community College and the Bergen County Workforce 
     Improvement Board came together this summer to help 
     supermarket retailer Whole Foods train 300 of its employees 
     at stores in Paramus and Edgewater. The board helped arrange 
     a $1 million training grant from the U.S. Department of 
     Labor, while the college developed training budgets and 
     schedules, and located instructors for computer courses, as 
     well as for classes in customer service and basic 
     supervision.
       Obama is not the only one to recognize the value of 
     community colleges. The public has, too. This fall, many two-
     year colleges saw sharp increases in enrollment. As of the 
     first day of classes, Bergen Community College had enrolled 
     16,769 students, a 17 percent increase over last year.
       Two-year colleges are also preparing students to join the 
     workforce in a relatively short period of time. Labor market 
     experts believe that in the future there will be a strong 
     supply of jobs for people who have two-year degrees or 
     occupational certificates. In fact, these so-called ``middle-
     skill'' jobs--nurses, hotel managers, paralegals, etc.--make 
     up about 50 percent of the labor market in New Jersey and pay 
     above-average salaries. A licensed practical nurse, for 
     example, earned a median salary of $46,800 in 2006, well 
     above the $35,838 median salary for all occupations in New 
     Jersey that year.


                              Flexibility

       To have a lasting impact on the economy, it will be 
     important to prepare students for jobs in industries that are 
     growing and have a future. A hallmark of county colleges has 
     been their ability and willingness to add courses of study 
     that are in demand by the communities they serve. This year, 
     Bergen Community College added nine more degree programs in 
     subjects such as non-profit management, homeland security, 
     fire science and sports management. When you add them to the 
     existing curricula, Bergen students have 140 programs of 
     study to choose from, each leading to a rewarding career.
       Obama's speech was a beginning, a recognition that the path 
     to improving employment must include community colleges. Many 
     details need to be worked out, but we have the know-how and 
     experience to help people get back to work.
       G. Jeremiah Ryan is president of Bergen Community College 
     in Paramus.

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