The news that Jamestown Business College will close its doors as soon as 2025 comes as quite a shock.
After all, we hear a lot about the needs for a skilled workforce, and JBC was an affordable place to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management and associate’s degrees in accounting, marketing and management, and medical administration.
But, as the State University at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College dealt with their own more highly public battles with falling enrollment, Jamestown Business College succumbed to a quieter decrease in enrollment. It’s a sign of the times – more Chautauqua County youth are leaving the area to go to college, and our population isn’t enough to sustain a four-year college and a pair of two-year institutions. It was only a matter of time before Chautauqua County’s declining population claimed one of its colleges.
But the closure of an institution like Jamestown Business College makes us wonder about the disconnect between falling enrollments locally and the continuing need for a trained workforce. Four other colleges in New York state have announced closures in the past year – St. Rose, Long Island Business Institute, The King’s College and ASA College – with another 11 having closed since 2016. That means this isn’t just a question facing Chautauqua County but the state as a whole as small, private colleges are finding themselves without a niche to fill. At one point there was a niche for small, private colleges that provided unique learning opportunities. That niche has shrunk to the point colleges are closing.
Jamestown Community College has been working over the years to reach high school students, including its embrace of Dream It, Do It initiatives, and getting high school students taking JCC classes. JBC’s closure, though, is a good reminder that there are still disconnects between some job skills and the colleges that provide training – and time is running out to bridge the divide.
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At A Time When Job Skills Are Needed, A College Closes
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12.02.2024
The news that Jamestown Business College will close its doors as soon as 2025 comes as quite a shock.
After all, we hear a lot about the needs for a skilled workforce, and JBC was an affordable place to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management and associate’s degrees in accounting, marketing and management, and medical administration.
But, as the State University at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College dealt with their own more highly public battles with falling enrollment,........
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