national security intelligence—the only programs of their kind
in the state of West Virginia—we not only retain West Virginia
residents but also attract new young adults from surrounding
states, as well as from around the world. Additionally, by ensur-
ing the excellence of other in-demand programs and graduates
in fields such as education, health care and nursing, cyber
security, business, sciences, engineering and computer science—
programs and fields that are vital to building communities
where people want to live—the university functions as a sort
of workforce incubator, accelerator and industry magnet.
When colleges and universities produce a skilled workforce,
businesses will follow to harness the potential of our amazing
human capital. The jobs these businesses create will keep
graduates in West Virginia, where they will enjoy rewarding
careers. As businesses come into or choose to stay in the state
and benefit from the wealth of education, skill set and know
ledge our students provide their industries, other prospective
students will be inspired to pursue these fields. This paradigm
creates a new, positive cycle, one that educates our populace in
high-demand jobs, creates employment opportunities, attracts
new businesses and industry and provides a revenue engine for
the state, its cities and its communities.
Dr. Johnny Moore
President
Pierpont Community
& Technical College
CHALLENGE: We have many jobs—more than 30,000—
that are unfilled, and we do not have enough highly skilled
or trained workers to fill them. We face a critical need for
a new set of pathways to the middle class in West Virginia
for those currently left behind in our economy.
SOLUTION: Business executives have long complained about
a skills gap and the difficulty of finding highly trained workers
to fill specialized roles. This is especially true in advanced
manufacturing jobs, which require some computer training.
We must continue to reimagine college to meet the state’s
workforce needs. For some students, college will mean earning
a certificate in a yearlong program. For other students, college
will mean earning an associate or bachelor’s degree by
attending traditional classes or participating in competency-
based programs. For still others, college will mean earning
associate degrees through dual credit or early college high
school programs.
That being said, our policymakers need to consider educational
reform that includes the reorganization and designation of a
select number of career technical education centers to become
a part of the state’s community and technical college system.
Early access to a college education is and will always be
critically important to the social and economic mobility of all
residents. Our early college and dual enrollment programs need
to be more comprehensive in nature to improve their quality,
add more career and technical options and expand access to
rural, low-income and minority students who are typically
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
underrepresented in these programs. This new model would
provide an alternative pathway to college credits for thou-
sands of our students in a more coordinated manner leading
to an outcome. Consequently, the state would be better able
to achieve its goal of equipping at least 60 percent of West
Virginians with a degree or certificate by 2030, which is in
line with the West Virginia’s Climb campaign.
We must continue to respond to the needs of our evolving
economy by adjusting our higher education system to help ensure
we are providing all of our students with guidance and pathways
to a certificate or degree that has value in a highly competitive
marketplace to fill the current available jobs and new categories
of jobs that will emerge that require new skill sets.
Dr. Kathleen Nelson
Interim President
Glenville State College
CHALLENGE: Creating a culture of inquiry and exploration
for students to help them envision their places in higher
education after high school graduation continues to be
a challenge across our state and nation.
SOLUTION: While most people think the time to begin
planting the seeds of postsecondary education for students is
while they are in middle school or high school, research shows
that creating a sense of inquiry and exploration in the mid-
elementary grades is the stepping stone kids need to begin to
envision life in a postsecondary learning environment after
high school. West Virginia has a rich collection of colleges
and universities that can help create a positive connection with
elementary schools through a host of activities, such as:
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Adopting a fourth grade class;
Offering tutoring and mentoring to elementary children;
Utilizing college students and employees for elementary
school visits where they can serve as the subjects for
interviews by children;
Hosting parent college courses on elementary campuses
to assist the parents of elementary students in learning
about college;
Hosting elementary classes on campus for sports, music
or science days;
Offering services on college campuses for homeschooled
elementary students;
Providing supportive environments for the delivery of
primary school educators’ professional development in
order for them to learn or refresh their roles in developing
inquiry in their classrooms;
Developing a learning community with the goal of creating
and sharing experiential learning lesson plans; and
Offering college scholarships for those elementary students
who manage to stay focused and in attendance through-
out their late elementary, middle and high school years.