As more Tristaters face having to find new employment, they're realizing how important an education is in the job market.

        This discovery by a growing number of individuals is one of the reasons Tristate colleges give when explaining increases in their fall enrollments — particularly in courses that have direct application to workplace skills.

        At Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, president Ron Wright sees opportunity every time the economy slows. The college is building a $50 million technical building expected to open in the fall of 2004 to offer anchor curriculums of information technology and engineering.

        Animation, food service classes and other fields of study are also planned for the new building. In the meantime, the college has apparently been discovered by a work force looking to climb the corporate ladder.

        This fall, enrollment increased 5 percent over last fall, he said, as more adults became students trooping to classes. Today, the college has 7,192 students seeking certificates and degrees. Another 8,000 people will enroll for customized industrial training this year.

        “People come back to school to upgrade their skills,” Mr. Wright said. “The structure of our curriculum and programs offer people training in areas that are recession-proof. High-technology and information technologies continue to grow, even during a slowdown.”
       

Returning, finishing school

               Patrick Peacock, 38, of Hamilton expects to graduate from Miami University next term after working on and off toward a bachelor's degree in history since 1986. He is taking marketing classes at the Hamilton campus.

        Going back to school is not an easy thing for most working people, he said, particularly those facing unemployment. “It takes money to go to school,” Mr. Peacock said.

        Mr. Peacock was a businessman, co-owner of a Monroe wireless company, until he sold his interests in the firm in January 1999 and returned to school to wrap up his degree. The sale meant he could afford to return to school — though not indefinitely.

        In the fall of 2000, more than 3,000 students were enrolled in classes for degrees at Miami University Hamilton. That was a record number of students. “That number has held steady for this year,” said Carole Johnson, director of public relations for the Hamilton campus.

        Layoffs in Hamilton may have had a direct impact, but it's hard to say for sure, she said. “People are looking at their skills and avenues they can take to open up more doors,” Ms. Johnson.

        The average age of students at the regional campus is 23, and 50 percent are students enrolled directly from high school with the remainder being students who left school for a period of time and decided to return.
       

Job field draws students

               The University of Cincinnati Raymond Walters campus has also seen a noticeable increase in students in the fall term — about 8 percent more than the number of people enrolled in the fall of 2000.

        “Jobs are in computer support, nursing and allied health,” said Jenny Young, director of enrollment services at Raymond Walters. “When the economy goes south, we see an increase. People are redirecting their careers or seeking skill enhancements.”

        That is exactly what Rebecca Widener plans to do. She nestled her 8-month-old son, Justin, into his car seat at the Career Development Center in Florence and then considered her goals.

        Late last month, she saw an advertisement for an experienced registered nurse that paid $80 an hour. A medical assistant who is between jobs, she said that advertisement was the last straw.

        “I'm going back to school to be a registered nurse,” she said. It may take two years if she gets credit for her experience and previous classes, but it may also take four years.

        Either way, her mind was made up: “I'm going back to college.”

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