Archived Content

The Washington Post: To Compete Globally, Educate Locally

Now more than ever, the U.S. labor market needs young men and women with more than a high school education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that 80 percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States require a post-secondary degree or training, while jobs that require at least an associate’s degree are expected to grow by 17 percent over the next couple of years.

Add to the mix continually changing technological advances, growing competition from other countries, and an uncertain economy, and it’s clear that we need to redouble our efforts to ensure that American students and workers have the skills they need, to not only adapt to a changing global economy, but also to help our country continue to play a leadership role in it.

One powerful but under-recognized resource in our education system is community colleges. Community colleges, currently serving 11.6 million students, can play a larger role, in tapping and shaping the next generation of talent, educating a diverse population of Americans for jobs that are available right now, and improving worker training.

Health care, one of the fastest growing and most in-demand industries, provides a great example of how community colleges help employers find trained workers. According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), 59 percent of new nurses and the majority of new health-care workers got their start at community colleges. Many more examples can be found in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, where America is falling woefully behind other countries. Some of the most needed technical and engineering positions, including computer specialists and nuclear technicians, can be filled by someone with an associate’s degree earned at a community college.

More than other education institutions, community colleges also excel at working with local businesses to identify specific employment needs and then developing courses that can help prepare students to meet them. Utility company Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) recently teamed up with four New Jersey community colleges–Mercer County , Essex County, Passaic County and Middlesex County – to offer a new Associate Degree in Energy Utility Technology—the first ever in the state. PSE&G partners with the state’s Thomas Edison College to offer a bachelor’s degree as well. The degree, which blends general coursework, specialized in-class training and hands-on work experience, enables graduates to seek skilled positions in the energy utility industry or continue their formal education in a related field. “We hire about 90 percent of the students who earn the degree,” Dr. Ralph Izzo, chairman and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group, the parent company of PSE&G, told me.

Community colleges also create a pipeline of diverse talent for business. As U.S. demographics continue to shift and as business seeks a more multicultural workforce, community colleges help ensure that minority students attend college. Currently, 47 percent of African American undergraduates and 55 percent of Hispanic undergraduates nationwide attend community colleges.

I’m proud to say that I’ve experienced the many benefits of a two-year school firsthand. The school that put me on the right path to realizing my potential was Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts. My two years there gave me the knowledge and skills base that I built on in my later education and in my business career. It was one of the most rewarding times of my life.

Last month, I hosted a Business Roundtable forum that brought together CEOs, members of Congress and community college leaders for the first time. We discussed the vital role community colleges play in enhancing America’s education system, workforce training and overall competitiveness. By the end of the day, my colleagues and I agreed that we must help better integrate community colleges into our education and workforce training system.

The timing for this dialogue on community colleges is especially important in the current economic environment. Ongoing retraining and skills enhancement should always be available to American workers. Community colleges, which provide extensive technical training, can be an effective partner for American workers and companies.

My company, Accenture, recently launched a pilot program that will place senior executives from Accenture in teaching roles and in other educational activities at local community colleges. Our hope is that this program will inspire our colleagues in the business community to support community colleges.

Business and government must work together to strengthen our nation’s system of community and twoyear colleges. The more we focus our attention on improving results in all areas of education, the greater the chances are that U.S. students and workers will thrive, that local communities will remain strong, that business will maintain its competitive edge, and that the United States will continue to drive the innovations so vital to maintaining our nation’s leadership in the 21st-century economy.

-William Green is chairman and CEO of Accenture and chairman of Business Roundtable’s Education, Innovation and Workforce Initiative. For more information, visit www.businessroundtable.org.
 

We use cookies to give you the best experience when using our website. You can click “Accept” if you agree to allow us to place cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Notice.