Higher education supports individual and family well being-with college graduates earning about 20 percent (for associates degrees) to 50 percent (for bachelors) more than those without a degree-and supplies the skilled workforce critical for the success of businesses across the state.
But while reports indicate that the economic strength of the state depends on increasing the percentage of the population with higher education from just below one-half today to about two-thirds, other research indicates that up to 40 percent of college graduates lack the skills required in the 21st century workplace. Addressing this disconnect is the chief challenge facing higher education today and will require:
Focusing on curriculum that aligns more tightly with the economy and workforce needs, and creating programming and support services that provide students with clear career pathways.
Enabling more seamless student progression and transfer from secondary to postsecondary, within postsecondary education, and then to jobs and careers.
Breaking down the walls-or understanding the interdependence-between education and training. All workers require communications, social, technical, mathematics, critical thinking and problem solving skills. This is true of health care workers, machine tool operators, financial analysts, retail professionals, teachers and managers. A college education without any relevance to the workplace is not beneficial; nor is technical training without an understanding of the larger context.
Bringing greater permeability to educational silos and addressing the reluctance of many in the industry to change.
Meeting these challenges while remaining accessible and affordable will require significant changes in teaching methods, in particular greater use of technology that offers a diversity of delivery mechanisms such as online and hybrid instruction. Some resources will be available from other providers (such as Khan Academy and Harvard and MIT online content) with quality, relevance and assurance of learning and student completion provided by home colleges.
In-state institutions can have a competitive advantage by connecting early to middle and high school students, and customizing the learning resources to local economic opportunities and community needs.
Our focus at the Community College System of NH is access, affordability, local connection and economic relevance. We are building strong connections and partnerships with other educational institutions in the state, including the Department of Education and the University System of NH and with private postsecondary institutions. We are also increasing ties and partnerships with industry, focusing on workforce development in industry clusters in the communities served by our seven colleges across the state. We are committed to providing affordable quality education with economic relevance.
Dr. Ross Gittell is chancellor of the community College System of NH. He can be reached at 603-271-2722 or at rgittell@ccsnh.edu.
Current Issue - May 2024