[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 26 (Thursday, February 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRATULATING NORTHEAST IOWA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2012

  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
Northeastern Iowa Community College (NICC) in my district. NICC was 
recently named one of the top ten community colleges in the country by 
the Aspen Institute. This recognition is a high honor and speaks well 
to the education service that NICC provides in Northeast Iowa.
  NICC's success stems from the wide array of education opportunities 
that are offered by the school. The school does an incredible job with 
identifying the career goals of each of their students. Many of their 
students will receive a degree then transfer to a four-year college or 
university, while others will enter the workforce after graduation. 
NICC offers degree programs in nursing and other technical education 
programs. The school has also done a tremendous job of offering job-
relevant degrees and certificate programs. NICC partners with local 
businesses to determine what jobs need to be filled. The school then 
offers certificate programs for the jobs that have the most demand, 
such as welding. This approach has been a tremendous success that has 
put many people back to work in Northeast Iowa.
  In selecting their top ten finalists, the Aspen Institute looked for 
community colleges that were meeting the demands of today's workforce 
while educating and graduating their students in a timely fashion. NICC 
easily met these criteria. The Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think 
tank, is highly regarded as a national leader in identifying successful 
education models around the country and the world.
  NICC has and will continue to provide valuable education 
opportunities for my constituents in Northeast Iowa. I'm proud to have 
NICC in my district and congratulate them on this important 
achievement.

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