The upside of budget cuts

Community colleges do best when the economy goes bust.

Statistics consistently show that when people lose jobs, many go back to school to make themselves more marketable. That's why bad economic news in general is good news good for community colleges.

Community colleges are often the preferred route back to employment because they're more accessible and more affordable than four-year institutions, and they offer technical training that can lead to decent jobs quickly. But when the economy finally rights itself, as inevitably it does, the enrollment teeter-totter tilts back the other way. And that's where North Idaho College sits today; its enrollment load declined by double digits this school year and is projected to decline that much more again in the fall.

So what do you do when roughly 21 percent of your customer base disappears? You cut, which NIC is doing, to staunch the bleeding. But you also assess what products you're offering and, in this world that changes by the minute, you do your best to align what you offer with what the customers need.

NIC Trustees are expected to vote Thursday on an athletic conference realignment that, if approved, would slice about $600,000 a year from the college's $44.8 million budget. President Joe Dunlap estimates that a total of $2.3 million will need to be whacked to offset declining enrollment, so the athletic savings would be just one of four big bites that must be taken.

While trustees consider where the rest of the cuts will be levied, they will doubtless also be assessing where student demand will be highest moving forward. And there's every indication it won't be in English or history classes.

The college is turning away students from training programs like welding and machining because NIC simply doesn't have the physical space to accommodate them. And as frustrating as that is, it sets the stage nicely for the college's top priority to finally receive the attention it deserves: Expanding technical and professional facilities and programs.

You can be certain that even as NIC pares its budget in the weeks ahead, it will be seeking the public's help in addressing the needs of students and businesses alike. While English and history majors certainly have their place in the grand scheme of things, there are good jobs available locally, right now, for qualified welders, machinists and other skilled employees in our manufacturing- and natural resource-intensive region. Did you know that the timber industry, far from dead in North Idaho, is desperately seeking skilled workers to replace many who are retiring? And that average pay is well north of $50,000 a year for many of these positions?

As difficult and painful as the cost-cutting process will be, a powerful positive looms on the horizon. Like every other industry post-recession, North Idaho College will be forced to better align its resources with customer demands. And preparing a workforce for jobs is the loftiest goal a community college can attain.