As it gears up for the 2025-26 academic year, Patrick & Henry Community College (P&HCC) is poised for a third consecutive year of enrollment growth.
“We have, for the last three years, grown each year, and in fact, this is the first time in two decades that the college has experienced overall enrollment growth,” P&HCC President Dr. Greg Hodges said.
Between its three sites, Hodges said about 3,000 students will attend, pursuing either an academic or workforce track.
Still, while proud of the recent growth streak, Hodges remains cautious. “We know the reality of the region regarding its population and recognize what’s been called in higher education the enrollment cliff, or demographic cliff, where there’s simply fewer people in a given area. We know that that’s likely going to hit. We kept saying in the middle part of this decade, so we’ll see,” he said.
“We have about 2,000 on the academic side. Those are the Pell-eligible programs—transfer programs, and career and technical education (CTE) programs like welding and mechatronics—things students can use Pell dollars to fund,” he said.
Hodges estimates about 1,000 students are enrolled in workforce or FastForward programs.
“Those are the short-term credentials like phlebotomy, powerline, CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) —where students spend a few weeks in class, then take the certification exam and go straight into employment,” he said.
Hodges estimates P&HCC will offer hundreds of classes across its academic divisions.
The largest area of enrollment growth has been in short-term workforce certification programs.
“We were 23 to 24 percent up from last year, which mirrored what we were up the two years prior,” he said.
Of the students in Pell-eligible programs, about half intend to transfer to a four-year college, and the other half are pursuing CTE degrees.
“The CTE side has increased just a little over the last few years, but we still have about a 50-50 split on the academic side. Workforce—those numbers are continuing to grow exponentially,” he said.
Hodges attributes the growth in workforce programs to demand in the local economy.
“We are in an economy now where you can get a very good-paying job with a family-sustaining wage with that short-term credential. Look at programs like CDL and powerline—where in just a matter of weeks, you can go through training, get that certification, and go straight to work,” he said.
He pointed to the Stuart site as an example, where students in the heavy equipment operator course can immediately work on the U.S. 58 expansion project.
“When students have that opportunity and the economy supports it, we’re seeing students take advantage of it. Everything we do is about the economic gains of our students. The only reason we open the door is what we call the ‘JOB degree.’ We award fancy credentials with fancy acronyms, but it’s ultimately all about getting to that JOB degree,” Hodges said.
While the greatest long-term economic gains may come from four-year transfer programs, Hodges said not all students can wait that long to see returns.
“So what we do is stack the credentials. For example, you can come and get a short-term healthcare certification, go straight to work, and then come back for the LPN or RN program. From there, you can go on to earn a BSN. We embed and stack those credentials to ensure students gain economic mobility en route,” he said.
Hodges said there are plenty of good-paying jobs in the community, and P&HCC is proud to serve as a training partner to help students access them.
“Fifteen or 20 years ago, we had a crisis of jobs in our community. That’s gone. Now we have plenty of good-paying jobs—we just need to get folks trained for them,” he said. “There is very much an economic renaissance happening in our community, and that’s leading folks to shift career fields, perhaps, and that’s leaving a hole in some areas that we’re trying to fill.”
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Hodges said an announcement about the Patrick County Education Foundation’s Patrick Promise is also expected in late September or early October.
While he couldn’t share details yet, Hodges said, “It’s something that’s been many years in the making. We’re very excited about it. We’ll make sure all of our local partners are well informed, but I think it’s going to be transformative for the citizens of Patrick County.”
On the main campus, P&HCC received $2.6 million to renovate its building trades program.
“We already have a building trades program, but it’s got a pretty small footprint. We’re temporarily going to take the building trades program over to MET II and put them in space there while we renovate the space on the main campus, which will be in Philpott, to significantly increase that footprint,” Hodges said.
Construction is expected to begin this year, with the goal of opening the new space by fall 2026.
P&HCC also is considering its next steps across all campuses, he said.
“What determines that is what the economy needs—what the job growth opportunities are. We’re in conversations with some employers now to determine their needs, and that drives what money we go after and what grants we apply for,” he said.
Before launching or expanding programs, Hodges said the college consults local employers and school divisions to identify needs, then reviews its labor market indicators to confirm job availability.
“If that data says yes, then we write the grant, seek funding for equipment, and begin offering the program,” Hodges said. “Every program we offer is about creating opportunities for students and meeting the needs of our community.”
