The 252,378 total was the highest level in the history of the two-year college system. Nearly one out of every five vocational enrollments was in IT courses. These are among the highlights of the fall quarter 2000 enrollment report, which will be presented to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges when they meet in Olympia Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 16-17.
Businesses are desperate for more workers with IT training, and the colleges are responding.
The report also shows the number of students taking courses via the Internet and through other distance-learning methods grew by 30 percent from fall 1999 to fall 2000. Internet-based courses include those offered by individual colleges and by WashingtonOnline, the colleges' consortium for instruction delivered via the World Wide Web. This is by far the most popular and fastest-growing way for students to access education without having to go on campus. The State Board will also hear a preliminary report on the training the colleges provide to people moving from welfare into the workforce under WorkFirst, the state's welfare reform program. In addition, the board has scheduled a dinner meeting Tuesday with the executive committee of the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges.