West Virginia Executive Fall 2019 | Page 50

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 48 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: • • • • • • • • • 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.