HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Colleges continue to see declining enrollment and that includes Hutchinson Community College. Dr. Carter File, President of the college says a good economy and good job numbers mean fewer people are going to college.

He says that’s not just here in Hutchinson, but is a trend that officials with the Kansas Board of Regents say they’re seeing across the state.

“College-going rates in Kansas are decreasing and they haven’t pinpointed why that is,” said File. “The students who are leaving high school and going to a community college, tech college or a university is going down. At the same time, our population is now growing and many of our models have been built on growth models. As a system, we are struggling with where do we get the enrollment?”

However, the good news are the jobs of the future. Those jobs will need to be filled with employees that have some college training and education according to File. “Something to the amount of 70% of all jobs that will be created in the Kansas economy will need some post-secondary education,” Said File. “Not necessarily a baccalaureate degree, not necessarily an associates degree. Might be a one year certificate in a trade, a one year certificate in automated engineering technology or HVAC, you know, electrical technology.” He adds that they know they need to get those students in but right now that are choosing to do something else.

Of course, if you want one of those jobs or maybe you want to change careers, you can enroll at Hutchinson Community College and even work to use some credits at the local college for use at a four-year institution.