Illinois community colleges serve nearly one million students in credit and noncredit programs each year. That is nearly 10 percent of the total for the entire country. The average age of our community college students is 31 years. Illinois community colleges enroll nearly two-thirds of the headcount students and 53 percent of the full time equivalent students in the state's public system of higher education. Welfare To Work .
Welfare reform ranks high on the national agenda and the same is true in Illinois.
Helping welfare clients fulfill their potential and acquire the skills for gainful employment ranks among the top priorities for our community colleges. It is the right thing to do and community colleges are reaching out to lend a hand. Community colleges in Illinois have served over 30,000 individual welfare recipients through targeted programming since 1993. In these programs, community college staff assume case management responsibility for welfare recipients. College staff provide assessment and counseling, recommend education and skill training programs, and furnish job search and job placement assistance.