Connecticut’s economy can afford to leave no one behind, and no stone unturned. “Our workforce is at an inflection point,” Garrett Moran, chair of the Connecticut Governor’s Workforce Council said recently, as the state’s economy was being buffeted by the coronavirus, business shutdowns and employee furloughs and layoffs. The state’s goals are focused on a […]
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Connecticut’s economy can afford to leave no one behind, and no stone unturned.
“Our workforce is at an inflection point,” Garrett Moran, chair of the Connecticut Governor’s Workforce Council said recently, as the state’s economy was being buffeted by the coronavirus, business shutdowns and employee furloughs and layoffs.
The state’s goals are focused on a strong future: To develop and sustain a world-class workforce, expanded economy and abundant prospects for Connecticut residents to advance in their careers by seizing opportunities in emerging, evolving or growing industries. It is essential to assure access to higher education as a prerequisite for that individual and shared economic progress.
Too often, those most in need of higher education are hard-pressed to pursue educational opportunities that lead to economic opportunity for themselves and their families. Whether due to high cost, a limiting work schedule, family commitments or absence of digital resources, people are being left behind.
The current disparities in Connecticut are stark, and the consequences are felt not only by those facing barriers but also by Connecticut businesses and industries. The Council’s workforce strategic plan stresses that to unleash all the talent that is out there “we should be talking about closing the opportunity gap, not just a skills gap.”
Connecticut’s workplaces are changing rapidly, Gov. Ned Lamont has said, emphasizing that if we don’t take action now, “we will be letting down current and future generations of workers and their families and stifling the growth and innovation of the Connecticut economy.”
Data from the UConn Center of Economic Analysis are revealing. More than 320,000 state residents (12% of adults) have not earned a high school diploma. An additional 20% of high school diploma holders have not mastered sufficient skills for postsecondary and employment success. A growing population of 120,000 are non-native speakers learning English as a second language.
Across all three populations, the need — and opportunity — for continued education is substantial.
And, with that education, there are jobs to fill. Information technology is one of the highest-growth sectors in the Connecticut economy. There are 6,000 open computing jobs here, the workforce council points out, with future demand anticipated to reach 13,000 positions.
In health care, the state reports annual workforce demand exceeds 7,000 new workers, with significant shortages in nursing, certified nursing assistants, skilled technician roles and long-term and home health care. Leading companies are among many seeking qualified employees locally, including The Hartford, Travelers, Hartford HealthCare, Adnet Technologies and Axiom Technologies.
The scope of the workforce challenges Connecticut faces requires multiple remedies and cooperation to ensure that residents have access to relevant education-to-career pathways, and businesses and industries have access to well-qualified candidates they require.
Connecticut’s outstanding colleges and universities continue to provide life-changing education for many; for others, however, another approach to earning a degree might be more effective.
Western Governors University (WGU) — with more than 1,200 Connecticut alumni — pioneered competency-based, online education more than two decades ago. WGU measures each student’s skills and subject knowledge, rather than “hours” spent in a classroom. And every student receives one-to-one faculty support. WGU enrollment by Connecticut residents has more than tripled during the past five years, and currently includes well over 700 students — in fields including information technology, health care, business and education.
Low-cost, online learning that offers a flexible schedule is uniquely positioned to advance equity by meeting the needs of those historically under-represented: people living in poverty, students of color, first-generation students, rural and urban residents, and learners who pursue postsecondary education long after high school.
As the workforce council pointed out, “The urgent need to upskill our workforce hasn’t disappeared because of the pandemic, it has gained greater urgency.”
To accomplish Connecticut’s ambitious agenda, we need an all-hands-on-deck strategy, with heightened industry and higher education collaboration to expand opportunity.
Rebecca L. Watts serves as a regional vice president for Western Governors University, a private online university.
