ANKENY, Iowa — Mid-pandemic, Iowa resident Tyler Grems got the news that many Iowans have gotten: the company he was working for was closing up shop.
"I actually came from a place that a lot of people lost their jobs," he said.
Now, he's studying the automotive trade at the Ankeny campus of Des Moines Area Community College.
"I was kind of in-between schooling and what I wanted to do. And then when everything hit, it almost became clear, you know, this is something that I wanted to do. And right now with circumstances the way they are, I think this is a good choice," said Grems.
But fewer people are making that choice.
While enrollment in colleges and universities was down by 2.5% in 2020, it was four times higher for two-year public colleges, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, an organization that, in part, gathers data related to higher education.
"A couple of my friends have said, 'Hey, I'll go back when classes are back to normal,'" said Jonathan Moore, a DMACC student.
Enrollment at DMACC has dropped, too. Enrollment was down last year and is down 7% for the current spring term.
"The biggest issue that most of our students have is uncertainty," said Rob Denson, president of DMACC. He added that he expects the trend to continue through the fall term, too.
"There were a lot of other students who were able to find jobs even if they were part-time and just decided that it was just too much uncertainty to decide to commit to an education at that particular point. I think we're in that position still," he said.
Despite the uncertainty, he said, right now is the best time to be in school, especially those right out of high school or anyone needing a new career.
"When the pandemic wanes down or ramps down, that's going to be exactly the right time to have the skills. So, what I said is you need to double down on skill development during pandemic, so that you're at the front of the line, after the pandemic, and you can take advantage of the job because the jobs are there," President Denson said.
And that's exactly the plan for Grems, who graduates later this year.
"I'd say right now are really is a great time," he said.