Legislative Updates
Community colleges help fuel the Gulf Coast region. Educationally. Economically. Energetically.
The nine community college districts in the Gulf Coast region account for more than 20,000 jobs and more than $2.7 billion in output annually and the skills and education of our graduates add another $5.1 billion to the region’s total income. This region, however, still has unmet demand for degrees and certificates in business fields. Community colleges are best suited to meet these demands, helping to fulfill opportunities for students and businesses alike.
The Texas Comptroller’s office states that community colleges will play a leading role in providing low-cost options for students to build new skills and acquire certifications, which will help them to become more marketable and better prepared to take on new jobs once the economy recovers.
Community colleges help fuel the Gulf Coast region. Educationally. Economically. Energetically.
The nine community college districts in the Gulf Coast region account for more than 20,000 jobs and more than $2.7 billion in output annually and the skills and education of our graduates add another $5.1 billion to the region’s total income. This region, however, still has unmet demand for degrees and certificates in business fields. Community colleges are best suited to meet these demands, helping to fulfill opportunities for students and businesses alike.
The Texas Comptroller’s office states that community colleges will play a leading role in providing low-cost options for students to build new skills and acquire certifications, which will help them to become more marketable and better prepared to take on new jobs once the economy recovers.
Life under COVID-19 Gulf Coast community colleges need your support
What college looks like varies greatly in the Gulf Coast area
New learning options include online anytime, flex campus and lab based. The landscape is in constant change. Nothing is certain because of the pandemic.
Community colleges face new challenges
Many students lack technology – computers and internet access – to fully succeed in the online college environment. A greater number of students face shortages of basic needs – food and shelter – because of COVID-19. Colleges face a decline in student enrollment but feel pressured to maintain the college’s workforce in spite of the pandemic. The Texas Comptroller’s office states that “while the region’s new graduates and certificate holders enter the workforce in large numbers, demand for some degrees still outpaces supply. This is situation that has been exacerbated in the COVID-19 environment.
Gulf Coast Community College Overview:
The Gulf Coast region’s nine community college districts provided technical and academic coursework for more than 190,000 students.
As the Gulf Coast region’s nine community college districts work to address local skills gaps and meet the specific needs of area employers, they support more than 20,000 jobs and add about $2.7 billion in economic output annually. Furthermore, the higher pay of those with some college or an associate degree helps raise total wages in the region by $5.1 billion per year.
The Texas Gulf Coast Community Colleges Consortium
The Texas Gulf Coast Community Colleges Consortium is a partnership of nine public community colleges along the Texas Gulf Coast collaborating to advance the mission of community college education, train the region’s workforce and enrich the student learning experience.
