According to Thomas Pilarzyk, Ph.D., and Director of Institutional Research at MATC, people are working fewer hours or have lost their jobs and are coming back to school to “add work skills, academic degrees or technical diplomas.”He added that, “Basically, (the increased) enrollments at MATC and other institutions around the country are the result of the deep economic recession.”
This semester, student enrollment is 7% ahead of last spring semester. Enrollment is usually measured by colleges through Full Time Equivalencies (FTEs), which are the total number of credits taken by all students divided by 30.
Kathleen Hohl, Director of Communications and Events at MATC, said that “in Milwaukee County, every 1% increase in unemployment results in 445 FTEs.”
She also explained that because so many people are out of work, they might be in need of a career change as well as additional training. She also thinks that for those who are employed, the fear of losing their jobs sends them to classes to remain employed as technology changes work environments.
Many of the programs that have seen major growth are in high-tech fields. “What’s special about MATC is we have so much flexibility for people working part time, and they are showing up to secure their future,” said Hohl.
