Budget shortfalls caused Grand Rapids Community College to turn away 500 students last year, and they could turn away double that number this fall unless an August vote for increased millage passes. Employers stand to lose the most if students are turned away; the students will miss out on essential training for several professions, and re-training programs for over 600 companies may have to be cut back.
According to excerpts from the story:
Employers across Kent County could very well have as much at stake as students in Grand Rapids Community College's request for a tax increase.
The community college last year provided job training and re-training for more than 600 companies and enrollment is at capacity in its business and health care programs, President Juan Olivarez said.
Employers have a "great vested interest" in the millage proposal because GRCC trains students for a wide range of professions, Olivarez said. Business courses, he said, account for the largest percentage of GRCC's enrollment.
Read the complete story here.
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