Like many two-year colleges across America, Tidewater Community College is experiencing an explosion in enrollment. One reason TCC is expanding at such a fast rate (9% from a year ago, double what was projected) is its emphasis on demand-driven programs that are ideal for displaced workers looking for new skills.
Here’s an interesting article from The Virginian-Pilot that focuses on the school’s growth. It also mentions the large number of new and replacement jobs (87,000) that EMSI projects for the region over the next five years.
The college, with campuses in most South Hampton Roads cities, continues its two-pronged mission: To serve as a springboard for those going to four-year schools and to be a flexible institution that creates new programs that flow with the economy.
It’s a formula that is attractive in these times, said TCC President Deborah DiCroce. …
DiCroce says she isn’t overlooking the economy’s bad news, but she prefers to focus on more upbeat forecasting data, such as the findings of Economic Modeling Specialists Inc., which show a projected 87,000 new and replacement jobs over the next five years for South Hampton Roads, she said.
“It’s not just about closures. It’s about the future of where openings are going to be,” DiCroce said. “It’s a structure to respond to a recognized need. We tend to see the side of the glass of that is half full, not half empty.”