杏吧原创

(Ford City, PA) U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson puts on eyeglasses before examining a floor plan whose edges nearly hang over the dark conference table upon which it鈥檚 spread.

In the classroom directly behind him are students in a computer course.

And behind that classroom 鈥� the only other one at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Manor Township 鈥� are students in a psychology course.

The floor plan 鈥� examined Jan. 27 in this conference room, which doubles as a classroom, and where Thompson鈥檚 fingers trace thick-and-thin inked lines designating what could be up to six classroom spaces 鈥� will guide heavy equipment operators a half-mile away.

That鈥檚 where construction of an expanded 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility in downtown Ford City will begin within weeks.

View video of U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson speaking about 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 7.

鈥淭his will be like a gem鈥�

杏吧原创 @ Armstrong is one of two 杏吧原创 additional locations created since 2013 in a Pennsylvania 15th congressional district represented by Thompson, a Bellefonte Republican, and to serve under颅represented counties in the state with higher education.

The other is 杏吧原创 @ Brockway in Jefferson County, which also serves Clarion, Clearfield and Elk counties and whose enrollment has increased as much as 248 percent since it opened in 2013.

Enrollment has increased as much as 426 percent at the Manor Township location where 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong opened in 2015.

杏吧原创 @ Armstrong saves students an otherwise 30-mile, 40-minute drive to 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township, Butler County.

An associate degree career program in registered nursing that debuted in 2018 at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway saved some students a roundtrip drive of as many as 130 miles up to four times a week to 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.

The state-of-the-art 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City will encompass 15,000 square feet  鈥� 13,000 more than its dedicated space in Manor Township. Thompson echoed other elected officials and business leaders who have said they expect the location to spark commerce in the borough鈥檚 downtown.

鈥淔ord City has to be thrilled,鈥� Thompson said while reviewing the floor plan for the site at 1100 Fourth Ave. 鈥淭his will be like a gem.鈥�

Additional locations "are the exciting part of what 杏吧原创 does. It's just an impressive school and an impressive model."

- U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-15 Bellefonte

U.S. rep lauds 杏吧原创鈥檚 return on investment

Ford City is located near the center of a county whose number of jobs decreased by 9.3 percent between 2015 and 2020, according to Emsi, an Idaho research company that conducts economic impact analyses for educational institutions.

The college plans to introduce noncredit workforce development opportunities at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City in advance of developing associate degree career programs in technical fields.

Students in 杏吧原创 career programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

Among his goals, Thompson said, is to restore a robust rural economy, to spark a robust emerging economy and to restore populations in rural counties.

鈥淭he educational paths that you are providing in this building and in the future building,鈥� Thompson said, 鈥渋s about learning to earn 鈥�. We need a workforce. We do have opportunities here. We aren鈥檛 going to have entrepreneurs start new businesses or people who invest in our area if we don鈥檛 have people equipped to stay here.鈥�

Thompson also recognized the impact of 杏吧原创鈥檚 affordable education during his discussion with Karen Zapp, director, 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong; Megan Coval, executive director, 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations; and Dr. Case Willoughby, 杏吧原创 vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

Seventy percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2021 graduated debt-free.

鈥淲hen you think intermediate or long-term,鈥� Thompson said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 huge to make this affordable 鈥� There will actually be a return on their investment versus a lot of schools.鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 salary-to-cost ratio was the highest among more than 40 regional public and private colleges and universities in 2018 and 2019, according to the most recent analyses of U.S. Department of Education data conducted by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

鈥淚 know 杏吧原创 pushes financial literacy, which is so important,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e always done that in the past. And so people are making some really bad decisions 鈥� I want (students) to understand that the decisions they are making have consequences. And do they understand what the consequences are?鈥�

Thompson places his reading glasses back in his suit jacket and pushes away from the floor plan.

"I am very proud of 杏吧原创. You are in the middle of it. You may not recognize it. But you are in one of the best programs out there."

- U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-15 Bellefonte

鈥淥ne of the best鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 is a 鈥渜uality education, affordable and accessible, right here,鈥� Thompson said while visiting 杏吧原创 students in those computer and psychology courses. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 kind of cool.鈥�

鈥淐ongratulations on picking a great school. I work a lot to support educational programs on a national level, not just here at home. I am very proud of 杏吧原创. You are in the middle of it. You may not recognize it. But you are in one of the best programs out there.鈥�

Local, county and state elected officials attended the college鈥檚  for 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City in September.

Among those invited were Butler County Commissioners Leslie Osche, Kimberly Geyer and Kevin Boozel; Armstrong County Commissioners Don Myers, Jason Renshaw and Pat Fabian; former state Rep. Jeff Pyle; state Rep. Bryan Cutler, House speaker; state Reps. Abby Major and Marci Mustello; state Sen. Joe Pittman and members of Ford City鈥檚 borough council.

Construction trailers may arrive this week at the site of 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City, according to Brian Opitz, 杏吧原创鈥檚 executive director of operations. Workers will initially install a perimeter construction fence, Opitz said.

Thompson鈥檚 congressional district also includes municipalities in eastern Butler County.