'Getting jobs right away': Top federal education official visits GateWay Community College
A top federal Department of Education official visited GateWay Community College on Monday with an eye toward workforce development and college affordability.
Undersecretary James Kvaal toured the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Center for Health Careers Education at the central Phoenix campus, applauding the school’s work in providing degrees for high-demand careers like nursing and entrepreneurship.
GateWay is one of 10 schools in the Maricopa County Community College District — one of the largest community college systems in the country.
Founded in 1968 as the state’s first technical college, GateWay now serves a slightly older population than other colleges in the Maricopa Community College System and around half of full-time students are Pell Grant recipients.
Kvaal noted Maricopa County Community Colleges’ reputation in Washington as an innovative force in higher education. He shared the Biden Administration’s desire for more Americans to pursue higher education, which comes through many other avenues outside of four-year bachelor's degrees, he said.
“Community colleges are a priority for the Biden administration because they help students who might lack other opportunities, quickly get out in the workforce and start contributing,” Kvaal said.
The goal of the programs is to appropriately set students up for jobs where they can quickly make a salary to support their families, said GateWay President Amy Diaz.
“They're getting jobs right away,” Diaz said. “If they want to be working, they can be working.”
Kvaal highlighted the school’s economic impact across the county. Since the entrepreneurial center was founded in 2013, it has assisted around 80 startups in the Phoenix area and created more than 800 jobs.
The undersecretary also observed classes and met with students in the school’s healthcare programs including medical radiography, nursing and ultrasound programs.
Through the school’s healthcare programs, some nurses can further their careers through programs as short as one semester. The school offers a variety of nursing degrees and will soon unveil a bachelor of science in nursing degree this fall with the hopes of addressing the shortage of nurses across Arizona.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 195,400 openings for registered nurses in the state from 2021 until 2031.
As the cost of higher education continues to rise nationwide, affordability is top of mind for community colleges. Legislators have proposed bills that would expand Pell Grants for short-term programs, targetting specific workforce needs — something community colleges are skilled in, Kvaal said.
“They also are often very connected to local industries, local employers and produce graduates who are capable of doing the jobs that are in need and support the local economy.”
Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Biden administration education official visits GateWay Community College
