November 05, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2010
In radio address, lieutenant governor says full-time enrollment up 35 percent since 2002
LANSING - Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr. today said the state's community colleges are playing a key role in educating and training students and workers for 21st century jobs. Cherry made his remarks in delivering this week's radio address on behalf of Governor Granholm.
"Michigan's 28 community colleges are among our state's greatest educational resources," Cherry said. "Our community colleges are presently providing education and training to about 255,000 Michigan residents, from high school graduates to adults seeking to learn new job skills."
"In 2004, the governor asked me to chair a bipartisan Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, also known as the Cherry Commission," Cherry said. "One of the Cherry Commission recommendations led to the creation of Michigan's nationally-recognized No Worker Left Behind job training program. Our community colleges have played a leading role in helping train the almost 147,000 Michigan citizens who've enrolled in No Worker Left Behind since 2007, and the program is training adults at quadruple the national rate."
"The Cherry Commission also wanted to create the expectation among Michigan's high school graduates that they would continue their education at a community college or university," Cherry continued. "To help prepare students for postsecondary education, the commission recommended a tougher high school curriculum, one that emphasized math and science. Next year's high school graduates will be the first to have completed this more rigorous curriculum."
"With an increasingly diversified Michigan economy, the need for highly educated and skilled workers grows," Cherry said. "Enrollment of full-time students at our community colleges is up 35 percent since 2002. We need to keep our 28 community colleges strong so they can continue providing the education and training that our students and workers need for 21st century jobs."
The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state. The address is available for download on the governor's Web site at www.michigan.gov/gov together with a clip of the quote above. The radio address also is available as a podcast on the Web site as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers. Links to the audio files and text of today's address follow.
Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr.
Radio Address: Community Colleges
November 5, 2010
Full: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov274Full_337785_7.mp3
Edited: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov27_Edit_337786_7.mp3
Quote: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov274Quote_337787_7.mp3
Hello, this is Lt. Governor John Cherry.
Michigan's 28 community colleges are among our state's greatest educational resources. Our community colleges are presently providing education and training to about 255,000 Michigan residents, ranging from high school graduates to adults seeking to learn new job skills.
For the 2011 fiscal year, we were able to maintain current funding levels for operations at every Michigan community college. This was important because community colleges and education are crucial to Michigan's future, something the governor and I knew when we took office in 2003.
At that time, changes were rapidly occurring in manufacturing and the auto industry. No longer could a high school graduate go directly from school to a factory job. We realized the need to develop a plan for Michigan's economic future.
The plan was this: we would create jobs by diversifying our economy. And we would work to see that our children and workers receive the education and training they need to compete in a global marketplace.
In 2004, the governor asked me to chair a bipartisan Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, also known as the Cherry Commission. Our task was to identify ways to double the number of Michigan residents with degrees and postsecondary credentials in 10 years.
In December of 2004 the Cherry Commission issued 19 specific recommendations. And since that time I'm proud to say we've made progress on virtually every one of them.
One of the Cherry Commission recommendations led to the creation of Michigan's nationally-recognized No Worker Left Behind job training program. Our community colleges have played a leading role in helping train the almost 147,000 Michigan citizens who've enrolled in No Worker Left Behind since 2007, and the program is training adults at quadruple the national rate.
The Cherry Commission also wanted to create the expectation among Michigan's high school graduates that they would continue their education at a community college or university. To help prepare students for postsecondary education, the commission recommended a tougher high school curriculum, one that emphasized math and science. Next year's high school graduates will be the first to have completed this more rigorous curriculum.
With an increasingly diversified Michigan economy, the need for highly educated and skilled workers grows. Enrollment of full-time students at our community colleges is up 35 percent since 2002. We need to keep our 28 community colleges strong so they can continue providing the education and training that our students and workers need for 21st century jobs.
Thanks for listening.
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