WORTHINGTON -- An influx of new and part-time students means enrollment is up nearly 4 percent within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, and Minnesota West Community and Technical College is no exception.
According to a MnSCU news release, the headcount of new students taking credit-based courses on the 30th day of the 2009 spring semester was up 8 percent from spring semester 2008, while part-time enrollment increased by 5 percent. Overall enrollment was up 3.7 percent this year.
In the Minnesota West system, that percentage was higher yet -- 4.1 percent -- with headcount numbers increasing from 2,782 students for the 2008 spring semester to 2,898 for the semester in progress.
Gary Gillin, the college's dean of communication and enrollment, attributed the increase to the struggling economy.
"It's a known fact that once the economy goes south the enrollment goes up," he said. "We're seeing a lot of that here in Pipestone, especially because of the Bayliner layoffs."
ADVERTISEMENT
Some have begun taking classes to update skills in their field, he said, but more new enrollees may be pursuing an entirely new career path.
The college has seen increased interest in programs related to administrative assistant work, nursing, heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC), wind energy and truck driving.
"I think we're going to see more and more people looking to retrain for fields with growth potential. The renewable energy and health care fields are all doing well," he said.
Overall enrollment at MnSCU's 25 two-year colleges increased by 4.8 percent, and Gillin predicts enrollment will continue to increase at Minnesota West for several years.
"It's a sad time; we feel bad for those people who are laid off but we're just glad that we're here, and they can get some retraining locally without having to uproot the family."
