EITC Reaches Record Enrollment

By Rachel Cook, Post Register, 2/4/10
A down economy means high enrollment for Eastern Idaho Technical College. 
EITC announced an enrollment record of 909 students for spring semester 2010, a 13.2 percent increase from spring 2009.
EITC spokesman Todd Wightman said rising enrollment correlates with a slumping economy.  "We always see that trend," Wightman said.
Enrollment grew 5 percent from 865 students in fall 2009.  Wightman said enrollment usually decreases between fall and spring semester, but hard times have more people looking to expand their skills.  He said some students are looking to retrain after being laid off, especially former construction workers. 
Wightman said EITC's health care programs which enroll 60 percent of those 909 students, are in high demand.  The waiting list for the school's nursing program is about two years.
"We've got a lot of waiting lists in those programs," Wightman said.  "All we can do is help (students) to prepare to get in as soon as they can."
Wightman expects the growth trend to continue while the economy is stagnant.
"I would be really surprised if we don't continue to grow the next couple of sementsers," he said.  "We'll do our best to get thruou it and support the students as they come our way."
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