LearnmoreMN Blog

It’s time to get serious about the skills gap

By Jonathan Blake, May guest blogger

All over Minnesota, parents and students are making one of the most important decisions of a lifetime: where to send that student to college. Everywhere you look, news stories are focusing on the dual issues of college affordability and student debt. Next to buying a house, it’s likely the biggest financial decision a family will make. As such, it is important that parents and students consider some hard facts about what the future holds for recent college graduates.

A recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found “the outstanding student loan balance now stands at about $870 billion, surpassing the total credit card balance [in America] ($693 billion) and the total auto loan balance ($730 billion).” Minnesota is unfortunately helping to lead the way. According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, the state is ranked fifth in the country for student debt.

College affordability and student debt should not be viewed in a vacuum. One of the most important things we can do to help alleviate the student debt burden is to equip graduates with the skills and experience they need to build successful careers. In this area, there is plenty of room for improvement.

One issue that should be addressed on the state and national level is the growing skills gap. According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics there are currently as many as 3.5 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. because many companies can’t find qualified candidates. Here in Minnesota, according the president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, if qualified applicants were suddenly found for such open positions, the unemployment rate would drop by 2%. Such an impressive drop in the state unemployment rate should impress policymakers and cause higher ed administrators to take notice, especially during this prolonged economic recession.

The skills gap problem is worsened by the impending retirement of the baby boom generation. A Pew Research Center report indicates that 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65 every day for the next 20 years. Whether the younger generation is prepared to replace these workers is up for debate. According to a recent survey of HR professionals by AARP, more than half said their older workers had “stronger writing grammar and spelling skills.”

This is not an argument for or against any specific type of educational pursuit. Rather, my intent is to show the necessity for higher education institutions to make adjustments amongst students and educators to ensure that the current and future workforce is prepared to fill the job requirements that a modern economy demands. If Minnesota is to retain its status for providing a highly trained workforce, changes must be made now to ensure that we remain up to that task.

The Power of Community-Engaged Learning

By Julie Plaut, August guest blogger

What have been the most powerful learning experiences of your life?

In my work at Minnesota Campus Compact, I frequently ask people that question, and only rarely does someone highlight a classroom lecture or textbook exercise. Instead, they tend to talk about experiences that engaged them as whole people, forced them to learn new skills, even made them uncomfortable — experiences like adapting to another culture or collaborating on a challenging project.

The diverse colleges and universities that come together in Campus Compact offer community-engaged learning experiences in part because they support student success. One excellent example involves Nekima Levy-Pounds, who leads the Community Justice Project (CJP) at the University of St. Thomas. As she asserted effectively on this blog in May, circumstances both within and beyond schools contribute to an unacceptable opportunity gap in Minnesota. CJP also demonstrates that engaged teaching and learning can help change those circumstances. In collaboration with the St. Paul NAACP and community members, law students have conducted research on issues of community concern and successfully advocated for changes in local criminal justice policies and practices.

Those are law students, you might think; they’ve already "succeeded.” Yet they are developing critical skills while building community relationships, educating youth about their rights, and addressing systemic problems that can affect others’ educational paths. Other partnerships illustrate the power of engagement for students who might have been struggling. Northfield TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes), for example, involves high school as well as college students and adult volunteers in academic support and civic engagement activities; since this effort began in 2005, the graduation rate among Latino students has risen from 36% to 90%. A recent assessment of youth organizing in three cities also found that participation improved students’ performance and increased their educational aspirations.

Expecting students of all ages and backgrounds, in all types of educational institutions and programs, to contribute something of value to others should not be a radical idea. Inviting those students to address issues that matter to them is motivating. So is holding them accountable — emphasizing that more than their own grade or degree is on the line. No surprise, then, that many students are eager for community-engaged learning. In a 2010 survey of 1,600 randomly selected University of Minnesota students, for instance, 86% agreed that "opportunities to connect my academic work with community-based experience are important to me.”

Employers also want to see students engaged in real projects that develop and demonstrate the communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills they most highly value. In national surveys by Peter Hart & Associates, employers emphasized the importance of opportunities for students to apply their skills and knowledge and identified community-based projects as the best evidence of their skills and knowledge. MnSCU leaders’ interviews with 352 Minnesota employers yielded recommendations for more experiential learning opportunities as well.

Meaningful community-engaged teaching and learning is not necessarily easy. It usually involves partnering with others and thus giving up some control. The issues that arise can be contentious and often extend beyond a teacher’s expertise. Students may seek to change our own institutions’ policies and cultures. Yet all these challenges actually help achieve our core educational purpose.

What other powerful examples do you know about? What else might we do to engage students in hands-on learning that not only supports their success, but also strengthens our democracy?

Final Thoughts: Problems Facing Minnesota Students

By Katherine Bristol, April Guest Blogger

Minnesota students score well compared to many other states, yet the achievement gap between different racial, ethnic, and economic groups are some of the largest in the country. College graduates now earn 70% more than high school students, a number which is increasing rapidly. About 66% of Minnesotans receiving their diploma in 2005 enrolled in a post secondary public education institution (compared to 49% in 2002). Of these students, 18% enrolled in a campus associated the University of Minnesota, 38% enrolled in a two-year or technical college, and, 29% enrolled in a four-year state university (not associated with the University of Minnesota) and 16% went out of state. At least 36% of these students also took some college level courses while in high school (math classes accounting for 29% of class, making it the largest indicator of matriculation in to post secondary students). While enrollment is a good indicator that K-12 can provide readiness for post secondary, we do not have the numbers on students who have access to college level courses and whether they are taking advantage of them (based on region), who is graduating from college, and how successful they are a few years down the line.

Many of Minnesota rural communities have declining population, slower economy, and less legislative power over their status as compared to large Minnesotan cities and their surrounding suburbs. Industries that have sustained such communities for years (timber, agriculture, mining, small business) now almost require a post secondary education to even sustain useable workforce. Additionally, the few public colleges that have arisen in rural areas (38 to be exact) lack the resources and consequential interest of local students, putting these colleges at risk for closures. While the state is not losing a great deal of residences who move or pursue other state options for post secondary education, an increasing number of Minnesotans are moving to the twin city metro area, displacing the allocated needs of the respective public schools and college campuses. According to the Center for Rural Policy and Development’s article, Capitalizing on the potential of Minnesota’s Rural Campuses (2003), “The average household income of persons in the rural college counties studied in this project is 75% of the state average and dropping.” The success of rural colleges and their surrounding communities has continuously proven to be of mutual interest and dependence on the well being of each entity. The lack of communication between school administrators and local political leaders regarding the mission and purpose of the colleges are generally lacking, causing issues with keeping the school relevant yet innovative. While we know something must be done, the question is what, and how?

My suggestions for Best Practices:

1. The effects of continued involvement by special programs mentors and community leaders from K-12 and beyond into post secondary education. This includes self-report/ evaluations done by students, teachers, parents, and other reliable sources to create a “learning portfolio” that would grow as the student progressed through school. Starting in the K-12 setting, we need set standards high and make sure that students are aware and have access to a variety of reasonable resources.
2. Massive improvement in the quality of our educators and additional supportive resources. This applies the importance of accessibility of such educators and resources, especially in more rural environments.
3. Change missions of public schools and colleges to fit the needs of the communities. For example, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board (MnSCU) Strategic Plan for 2002-2005 is “Strengthen community development and economic vitality by working with local communities to help them develop, maintain and enhance their vitality; seeking new ways to serve as a key partner to coordinate local, regional and statewide economic development initiatives; and develop frameworks for state and regional planning and collaboration that help more of its institutions to work in partnership with community and business groups.” The influence and role of politics and economics on the schools mission and subsequent outcome is key to getting rural students to not only enroll in school, but also graduate successfully. Also, allowing students to conduct apprenticeships or internships at relevant sites could give them indications of careers they would be interested in and what skills are necessary to succeed in the profession.

Response to "Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future"

By Katherine Bristol, April Guest Blogger

Minnesota is a prosperous place; the state ranks highly in many social and economic indicators.  The state’s  affluence can be traced to wise investment and policy decisions made by past generations.  However, as we progress into the 21st century, this prosperity is not guaranteed.  In order to be competitive globally, Minnesota needs a highly‐skilled workforce.  Regrettably, several indicators of educational attainment demonstrate that the state is not meeting this standard.  This is especially true for communities of color, which comprise a major source of future workers.  And while Minnesota has the third highest high school completion rate among all states, following high school, about 65 percent of Minnesotans enroll in postsecondary education.  Sustaining this high rate will be a challenge for Minnesota’s high schools and postsecondary institutions.

The total number of high school graduates is projected to decline by 10 percent from 2005 to 2010.  This will occur as children of the baby boomers (“the boomlet”) move beyond the high school age.  According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, “Unless high school to college participation rates increase—especially among low‐income students, students of color and other students who are traditionally underrepresented in post‐secondary education — colleges will have a smaller pool of students from which to recruit (Minnesota Office of Higher Education 2006).”

“Vanishing Graduates” addresses the economic and social issues associated with a lower number of college graduates.  It got me thinking about what are some practical changes that could be made, without addressing widespread issues such as federal funding and teacher quality. I was able to come up with two, based on my previous research and experience:

1. Set High Standards.  Minnesota must be a national leader in public education.  In order to accomplish this ambitious objective, every student, family, teacher, school, district and program must be held to the high standards.  These goals must be transparent to all, specific and measurable.  Although it may seem counterintuitive, setting high standards is key to improving outcomes for low‐income or minority students who begin school with significant deficits in cognitive, social, and academic skills.
2. Empower Communities, Schools and Individuals.  Empowerment at the community, school and individual levels bestows control to members of marginalized communities who have often been denied that privilege. That control fosters senses of ownership and pride.  When communities are empowered to be involved in their schools, schools are empowered to take control of their own resources, parents are empowered to take initiative in their children’s learning, and young people are empowered to get involved in their communities, the end result will be improved outcomes for students.

I would like to know your thoughts on these suggestions, or the show in general! Please feel free to post your opinion below in the comment section, and we can get the conversation about this important issue started!

Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future

Don't miss "Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future," a public TV show airing on TPT-Channel 17 this Sunday, April 13 at 7 p.m. This thought-provoking documentary examines why a shrinking number of Minnesota's students will be graduating from college and what that means for our economy. Education experts, business leaders and students share their experiences and discuss the state's education challenges. They highlight the need to do a better job of helping more students succeed in school — and how everyone can play a part.

Find out more about the show and view clips. The whole program will be available for viewing next week sometime. TPT will air it again on May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Check it out and tell your friends and family about it!