COLUMBUS, Ohio — The operating budget is a primary focus at the Ohio Statehouse. Lawmakers who are a part of the Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee heard testimony from community college leaders.

These leaders told lawmakers the amount of financial aid that is allocated to their schools is disproportionate compared to what larger universities receive.

What You Need To Know

  • Lawmakers continue to hear testimony regarding the operating budget 

  • Jack Hershey, the president and CEO of the Ohio Assocation of Community Colleges, told lawmakers students enrolling in short-term programs are on the rise

  • Hershey told lawmakers the enrollment coincides with the governor's proposals for workforce readiness programs

Jack Hershey, the president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, told lawmakers community colleges are asked to train several new workers in the state. Training for programs coincides with Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposals for workforce readiness programs. Hershey said Ohio’s new partnerships with Intel and Honda call for community colleges to train students in a short time span.

“The state has provided a lot of support for traditional associate degrees, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree programs,” Hershey said."They haven’t provided support for these shorter term programs, but that’s where employers are transitioning to those kinds of programs." 

Hershey told Spectrum News community colleges saw a dip in enrollment during the pandemic. 

“Community college students generally are older,” Hershey said. “Which means they deal with a different set of problems than your average college student. They have older parents, they have kids, and often have jobs. The pandemic put stress on almost all of those aspects.” 

In 2023, nearly 200,000 students are enrolled across 23 community colleges in Ohio. Hershey expects the enrollment numbers to grow. As enrollment begins to climb, he wants to ensure community colleges are equipped for short-term programs.

“The new model of what we are viewing is somebody will come to a community college, enroll, take a short-term program, and then get a job pretty quick,” Hershey said. “And then they will become both a student and an employee moving forward.”