Two-Year Schools in Washington Hit Enrollment High - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Feb 15, 2001

SEATTLE

Community college and technical school enrollment in Washington state reached an all-time high last fall with more than a quarter of a million students, a new report indicates.

The report, which was presented last month to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, also says more students at the state's 34 public two-year institutions are studying information technology and are taking classes online.

"The rapid growth of information technology shows how well the colleges are stepping up to the challenge of addressing Washington's skilled-worker shortage," says Earl Hale, the board's executive director. "Businesses are desperate for more workers with (information technology) training, and the colleges are responding."

Fall enrollment reached 252,378 students, 1 percent more than a year earlier, and the number of full-time equivalent students was 146,511, a 2.3 percent increase. Of the total, 26 percent were racial minorities, an increase of one percentage point over the previous year.