Ivy Tech's north central region faces $2.67 million budget deficit

That plan will include belt tightening, including the possibility of employee reductions through attrition and layoffs, Chancellor Thomas Coley said Friday. He said he couldn't yet provide any estimates of the number of possible worker reductions.

"We have no plans to cut programs," he said.

The north central region covers St. Joseph, Elkhart, Kosciusko and Marshall counties.

Coley attributes the money crunch largely to declining enrollment as the regional job market has improved in the aftermath of the recession.

"We train people to get job skills and get jobs," the chancellor said. "As soon as they get an accreditation or training, someone is going to hire them."

Area employers are looking for reliable workers, and don't necessarily require that those workers have finished a degree or a training credential, Coley said.