Community colleges also offer flexible, customized noncredit training for business, industry, and government. For example, in fiscal year 1997, Business and Industry Centers at Illinois community colleges provided technical assistance to 2,300 businesses and 76,000 employees and through economic development activities, the Centers helped create or retain over 165,000 Illinois jobs in the last five years alone. I applaud your identification of education and, particularly, higher education, as a top priority in the budgetary process. Our citizens place a great trust in community colleges to provide a skilled American workforce that can compete successfully in an increasingly technical and competitive global marketplace. Funding for community colleges helps sustain the communities that they serve, communities from which we all draw our educational and political nourishment.
Community colleges offer a more affordable avenue to higher education.
In Illinois nearly two-thirds of all minority students in public higher education institutions attend a community college. Illinois community colleges also serve nearly 11,000 students with disabilities and 38,000 students with limited proficiency in English annually. Our community colleges are especially good at helping those students with multiple barriers overcome them. The colleges provide the programs and support services necessary for students to achieve successful educational outcomes. Needed Federal Financial Aid Enhancements .