With graduating college students nationwide struggling to find adequate employment, the keywords during College Night at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove was “adaptability” and “accessibility.”

More than 100 public and private colleges networked with prospective local students on Oct. 6. The event also served to highlight Waubonsee’s resources and strategic academic plan to individualize pathways for students toward specific careers.

Faith LaShure, dean for admissions, said setting the right track early on leads to the best employment success rates.

“There’s a lot of talk these days about return on investment of higher education,” LaShure said. “There is a shift toward career and technical education. The trades have very high demand and quick job placement. There’s still a large demand for transfer students, completing their general education classes here before pursuing a bachelor’s. We’ve become more sophisticated than ever with articulations, everything is individualized. From the beginning we work on what core classes they need.”

The college is experiencing growth in technical education programs like auto tech, welding and HVAC programs. The college built a new tech building to accommodate the growing need.

Students are pursuing short-term certificates or a two-year degree to meet the demands of the labor force. LaShure said they have higher success rates of finding employment when their skillset is tailored to the job market.

With more than 50 course disciplines, the average tuition fees for Waubonsee is $3,672 for 2025-26. Around 80% of students are enrolled part-time, with many working simultaneously.

“Attending community college first really helps to minimize student debt,” LaShure said. “With the cost of higher education these days, students can complete their gen eds here and explore and find what they’re truly interested in. By the time they leave here, they have a solid game plan.”

For Cameron Smith, of Elburn, studying fire science at Waubonsee is all about the accessibility of the program preparing him for employment as a fireman. He said the balance of tech programs and traditional general education courses is what makes the community college a perfect launching pad for himself.

“I’ve met people pursuing every field, transfer students and people going into trades, like auto tech,” Smith said. “I get to take classes like fire prevention, specifically designed for my career.”

Smith is a Gustafson Scholar at the college, joining a few dozen other students receiving a full-ride for two years. He said the scholarship also covers his paramedic program.

“The program emphasizes leadership, we attend leadership seminars and do volunteer hours to ensure we are being involved and giving back to the community,” Smith said. “It’s really helped build my confidence as a leader.”

Latino and adult students

With 42% of Waubonsee’s student body being hispanic, the college has prioritized adapting programs to address barriers first-generation and English language-learners often face in ensuring employment success.

“Community colleges and four-year universities are seeing an increase in Latino enrollment nationwide,” said Araceli Munoz Salazar, Waubonsee’s Latinx engagement coordinator. “Unfortunately, the national trend is we’re not seeing retention and completion rates. The past few years at Waubonsee, we’ve seen an increase in students staying and completing their two years before transferring successfully.”

She said many first generation students face financial difficulties, often needing to help their families financially and end up leaving their program of study. She said the college’s Latinx Resource Center serves as a great resource to stay connected with students and help guide them through any difficulties they face.

Munoz Salazar said the center’s Summer Bridge Program for high school students provides workshops and resources to help pipeline prospective students into mentoring programs and to help them stay involved in clubs and become leaders on campus.

She said this extra connection results in higher academic success rates.

Linda Nevarez, the college’s bilingual adult outreach advisor, said older students, especially Spanish speakers, tend to pursue trades like welding, HVAC, and other technical programs or career programs. She said the younger bilingual students are pursuing four-year degrees, with business, social services, and healthcare being the most popular.

“Out technical programs changed this year, we did research to better fit the market and what is exactly needed for that employment right now,” Nevarez said.

“We provide bridge programs for adults seeking to complete their high school equivalency before pursuing programs like welding, phlebotomy, or CNA healthcare programs.”

Munoz Salazar and Nevarez said key to continued job placement success after graduation is continuing forming partnerships with companies so colleges can adapt to meet the exact requirements of the labor force.