By LESTER CHANG
The state Legislature should continue funding two-year jobtraining programs at De Anza College even though it faces a federal mandate to create new programs to train students on welfare in less time, college officials said recently.
Taking money from two-year programs to fund training for welfare recipients could lower the quality of instruction at De Anza and at 105 other community colleges statewide, they said.
"It won't do any good to take money away from excellent [two-year] programs," said Michael Sullivan, dean of instruction in the college's technical and education department.
He and other community college officials made their comments at a meeting of the state Assembly Committee on Higher Education held at De Anza on March 25.
The legislators solicited public comments on how to implement welfare reform at the colleges.
At De Anza, at least 1,218 students received welfare benefits during the 1995-96 academic year. The actual number is higher, since not all programs require students to disclose such information.
More than 125,000 students in the community college system receive welfare benefits.
State Assemblyman Jim Cunneen said he supported the shorter training program as a way to get people off welfare rolls and into productive jobs.
De Anza College has nearly 30 programs that offer training, ranging from less than a year to two years, Sullivan said.
The programs in health technology and computer-assisted office systems have had the highest success among programs offering a year's training or less, Sullivan said.
That type of training helps students get into entry-level jobs, whereas two-year programs place them in professions, Sullivan said.
The college offers many successful two-year programs, including nursing and paralegal training, he said.
In Sunnyvale, nearly 4,468 residents receive public assistance and could receive training at De Anza College.
More than 80 percent of the students who go through a two-year program with the Occupational Training Institute find jobs, said Theresa Rowland, the group's executive director.
So far, OTI has offered training to 20,000 people, she said.
Students also use the training offered at DeAnza College as a steppingstone to higher education, Sullivan said. Some aspire to attend universities, he said.
The college will have to shift gears to bring in more of the programs requiring less training time, and it can only do that successfully with more state funds, Sullivan added.
As part of the reform effort, Gov. Pete Wilson recommended allotting $53 million for job training at the colleges.
The amount is part of a $4.5 billion budget he has asked the Legislature to approve for the college system.
Cunneen said the $53 million might not be enough and that it might be necessary to draw on other state funds to ensure the success of the undertaking.
According to the reform laws, welfare recipients must find work after receiving aid for two years. They will be eligible for such aid for no more than five years.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 2, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.