As the numerous number of laid off autoworkers and others face the reality that their comfortable positions may be gone forever, many will need training for a fresh start. Many are choosing community colleges like Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Sinclair is widely acclaimed as one of the best community colleges in the nation. The college is currently retraining thousands of laid off workers. New York Times reports, “Sinclair Community College is working closely with the city, county and business leaders to identify and nurture growth industries and train the workers those industries will need. In turn, many of its goals are being achieved with the help of generous local funding from taxpayers.”

Sinclair Community College, like many other community colleges across the nation, is experiencing jumps in student enrollment. Sinclair’s enrollment went up 25% to 37,000 students mostly due to the continued rising unemployment. Sinclair also has been making strides in retraining the unemployed due to their unusually low tuition of $2000 a year, an innovative scholarship program and its 170 academic programs and certificates.

Kelli Martin, a 41 year old woman from Ohio, was laid off from Delphi Auto Parts after eight years. She took advantage of Sinclair’s nursing program in hopes of one day becoming a nurse in pediatric oncology. She noted that Sinclair was a convenient school for those who are older and are going back to get retrained. Sinclair has five campuses and offers many courses both day and night. In addition, the school teaches over 5000 students in online classes each quarter. Todd Sollar, like Martin, was laid off from General Motors after eleven years. He noted Sinclair as giving him the self-esteem he needed to go back to school and get retrained. Sollar said, “I was scared to death of school, I thought I wouldn’t fit in. But hopefully with a degree I’ll be more marketable for a job.”

Sinclair is also entering in a partnership with 53 high schools in the area. They’re working with the schools to upgrade their technology courses with the hopes of helping high school students transition easier to college. Steven L. Johnson, Sinclair’s president speaks about the school’s goal to draw in more high school graduates. “For most 10th graders there’s a societal assumption that you’ll go on to 11th grade, and for most 11th graders there’s an assumption that you’ll go on to 12th grade. We’re trying to create a societal assumption that 12th graders will go on to college.” To aid in this process, the school has created a $4 million grant to create a public “career technology” high school that will offer course programs in technology and engineering.