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City of Lincoln
Heartland Community College presents strategic plan to Lincoln
officials
[March 13, 2026]
Officials from Heartland
Community College presented a draft regional strategic plan for the
Lincoln campus during the March 10 Committee of the Whole meeting,
outlining workforce challenges in Logan County and potential new
training programs aimed at addressing them.
Mayor Tracy Welch introduced the presentation and invited
representatives from the college to speak about the plan and gather
feedback from city leaders.
Joshua Crockett, a member of the college’s Board of Trustees,
explained that the strategic planning process began in fall 2024 and
focused on regional campuses such as the Lincoln location.
“This process of our strategic plan for our secondary regional
campuses such as here in Lincoln started in fall of 2024 with an
environmental scan conducted by Northern Illinois University,”
Crockett said.
The scan examined demographic trends and labor market forecasts to
determine where educational programs should be positioned to support
the region’s workforce needs. According to Crockett, the research
helped identify both who lives in the community and what employment
opportunities are available.
“So who is here in our communities and in our district, and then
what opportunities are here for them, and where do we as a college
need to position ourselves to ensure that our community and our
residents are ready to take advantage of those opportunities,”
Crockett said.
Heartland officials said the
planning process also included more than 30 listening sessions with
community members, business leaders and local organizations
throughout the district. Those sessions were designed to gather
feedback about workforce needs and barriers to education.
From the environmental scan and listening sessions, the college
identified several challenges specific to Logan County and the
Lincoln area.
One of the most significant findings was a lower workforce
participation rate compared to the statewide average. According to
the research, roughly 56 percent of residents in the Lincoln area
participate in the workforce, compared with about 63 percent
statewide.
The research also revealed strong demand for healthcare workers in
the region. Officials said job postings for healthcare positions
frequently remain open for extended periods, indicating that
employers struggle to fill those roles locally.
In addition, the college identified growing demand for technical
education programs in areas such as welding, advanced manufacturing
and mechatronics.
Another major workforce need involves commercial driver’s license
training. It was stated by the college’s president, Keith Cornille,
that several local employers need workers who hold CDL
certifications.
The college officials also examined enrollment trends among local
high school graduates. Data collected through a national
clearinghouse system showed that many students in the district do
not immediately pursue higher education after graduating.
“If you look at the average across the district for the 17 high
schools that are connected with Heartland Community College, roughly
20 percent of those students had no college data,” Cornille
explained.
The data showed Lincoln High School students follow a similar trend,
with roughly one out of every four graduates not enrolling in a
college, trade school or other higher education program immediately
after graduation.
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“That means one
out of every four high schoolers had the opportunity to possibly
pick up additional training with us that would allow them to be
more competitive in the local job market,” Cornille stated.
Listening sessions with local leaders
also identified broader economic and social challenges that impact
education and employment in Logan County. One issue highlighted was
underemployment rather than unemployment, meaning many residents
have jobs but may not earn enough income to meet their needs.
Officials also discussed barriers such as transportation and
childcare.
“Transportation challenges exist both within the city, in the county
and to the Normal campus,” Director of Heartland Community College
Jennifer Kirby said.
The research also indicated that Logan County functions as a
“childcare desert,” meaning many families struggle to find available
childcare options.
Another challenge discussed during the presentation was public
perception of higher education. According to the listening sessions,
some residents view traditional college programs as too expensive or
too time-consuming.
“People questioned the value of higher education in terms of debt
versus return on investment,” Kirby said.
To address those concerns, Kirby stated the Lincoln campus plans to
expand their short-term training programs that lead directly to
employment opportunities.
Under the draft plan, the Lincoln campus aims to increase enrollment
in healthcare and technical programs while offering additional
certificate-level training opportunities.
Goals outlined in the plan include graduating 35 certified nursing
assistant students annually, along with 20 healthcare-related
certificate graduates each year. Officials also hope to see 50
students complete career and technical education certificates
annually and connect more residents with GED programs in Logan
County.
In addition, the college plans to expand CDL training opportunities
and create pathways for veterans to connect with workforce programs
offered through the Lincoln campus.
“We know a number of people aren’t headed for college, but we want
to show them a path to a career right here in the community,” Kirby
continued.
Welch thanked the Heartland representatives for their presentation
and noted that many of the challenges highlighted in the strategic
plan mirror issues raised during other regional discussions about
economic development.
“I think everybody’s starting to come
together and collaborate on the things that we know are important,”
Welch said.
The strategic plan will continue to gather feedback from community
leaders before being presented to the Heartland Community College
Board of Trustees for final consideration later this spring.
[Sophia Larimore]
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