PRINTER'S NO. 1018
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
84
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, MAKO, BOROWSKI, BRENNAN, BURGOS, CIRESI,
T. DAVIS, FREEMAN, HARKINS, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN, KUTZ,
M. MACKENZIE, MADDEN, MALAGARI, MARCELL, MATZIE, MUSTELLO,
SALISBURY, SANCHEZ, VITALI AND MARSHALL, APRIL 24, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 24, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of April 2023 as "Community College Month"
in Pennsylvania in recognition of the important role that
community colleges play in the education system and economy
of this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks 48th in the nation for the
affordability of higher education; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges play a critical role in providing
Pennsylvanians with an affordable and quality higher education;
and
WHEREAS, Community colleges are the largest provider of
higher education in this Commonwealth, serving more than 230,000
students; and
WHEREAS, Many of the students attending community colleges
are from low-income families; and
WHEREAS, Forty-two percent of community college students are
from underrepresented or minority groups; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges educate the largest percentage of
first-generation or nontraditional students in higher education;
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and
WHEREAS, Community colleges can save students tens of
thousands of dollars on the completion of a four-year degree;
and
WHEREAS, The affordability of community college provides
students with access to higher education and enhanced economic
opportunities; and
WHEREAS, These economic opportunities, for some students,
come through the many career-focused degrees and programs
offered by community colleges; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges serve as the largest
postsecondary trainer in this Commonwealth providing work force
development programs and degrees; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges partner with 2,170 employers to
provide more than $9 million in contracted workforce training to
87,000 individuals located throughout this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, These partnerships and programs provide employers
with highly qualified workers for high-demand occupations that
meet State and regional economic needs in this Commonwealth;
and
WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of community college programs
are aligned with high-priority occupations as defined by the
Department of Labor and Industry, which includes nursing,
computer technicians and early childhood workers; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges through their noncredit programs
educate and train the Commonwealth's first responders, including
law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical
service personnel; and
WHEREAS, Community colleges provide skill training for high-
demand occupations, including truck driving, nursing assistants,
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machinists and mechanics; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of April 2023 as "Community College Month" in Pennsylvania
in recognition of the important role that community colleges
play in the education system and economy of this Commonwealth.
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