President Barack Obama spoke at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, not at Fulton-Montgomery Community College in Johnstown, but our community college, as well as those throughout the state, received a welcome boost from the president's visit.

During Obama's speech Tuesday at HVCC, he talked about the importance of community colleges in our education system. He pointed out that jobs requiring at least an associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college education. That means community colleges will play an even greater role in preparing people for the work force.

Community colleges, he said, have the power "to prepare students for 21st-century jobs, and to prepare America for a 21st-century global economy."

He referred to HVCC?as "a place where anyone with the desire to take their career to a new level or start a new career altogether has the opportunity to pursue that dream. This is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds - even in the face of obstacles, even in the face of very difficult personal challenges - can take a chance on a brighter future for themselves and their families." The same can be said for FMCC.

Obama's visit also brought attention to his American Graduation Initiative, which aims to strengthen community colleges by giving them additional resources. The initiative calls for, among other things, 5 million additional community college graduates by 2020; the creation of a community college challenge fund; and the modernization of community college facilities. The president also talked about expanding Pell Grants and college tax credits, reforming the student loan program to save money, and simplifying student aid applications.

Affordable community colleges are vital to the nation's economy, in addition to the local work force. It was good to hear that message coming from the president Tuesday.

His visit should encourage more people to show support for the efforts of FMCC and other community colleges in our region.