Training the next generation today
James H. McCormick
February 3, 2006
Residents in the Twin Cities area can be proud that this region has one of the most highly educated populations in the country.
But as the well-educated baby boomers retire, businesses should expect a shortage of skilled workers. By 2012, demand for workers who have an associate or bachelor's degree is expected to grow by nearly 22 percent compared to the state's overall projected job growth of 15 percent.
The impending worker shortfall is detailed in a new report, "Mind the Gap," commissioned by the Itasca Project, a group of about 40 Twin Cities-based corporate, academic and civic leaders. The report certainly confirms a priority we have set at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - to increase access, particularly for underserved groups.
At the crux of the matter is a growing divide between individuals who have higher education degrees and those who do not. Earlier research shows that in 2004, only 31 percent of the state's low-income 19-year-olds enrolled in higher education, compared to 53 percent of all Minnesota's 19-year-olds who attend college.
The disparity is even greater for students of color. In 2004, only 26 percent of Minnesota's young adult students of color were enrolled in higher education. Ten years ago, the participation rate was 37 percent.
Given these alarming trends and an increasing need for a highly skilled workforce to compete in the global marketplace, does anyone out there believe we can afford to rest on our educational laurels? So, how can businesses ensure they will have the highly skilled and well-educated workers they need?
Three direct and economical approaches include: 1) Paying your employees' tuition and giving them time off to upgrade their skills; 2) Donating money for scholarships or state-of-the-art equipment to any of the community and technical colleges and Metropolitan State University in the Twin Cities area (which offer the best bang for the buck, by the way); and 3) Taking advantage of customized training courses offered by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. One popular program, for example, tailors "occupational English" training so workers learn business- or industry-specific words.
But even with those tangible and immediate steps, higher education is likely to remain out of reach financially for many students.
During the last few years, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees has struggled with maintaining affordable levels of tuition while offering the depth and quality of programs needed to produce highly skilled workers.
What's missing is a strong belief by citizens and leaders alike that giving our poorest and neediest citizens a fair shot at higher education is the best insurance for maintaining the economic vitality of the Twin Cities region and the state.
Let's hope that this report - at the very least - sparks a full public discussion of how we will ensure the affordability of education beyond high school for more of our citizens.
Then, we truly can be proud of the future we're creating, as well as the past we have achieved.
This commentary appeared in The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal.
