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Editorial: Lawmakers must find ways to help higher ed
In 2008, higher education officials charted a long-range plan to help fill the state’s high-demand jobs. A progress report released this week shows that this effort has been crushed by the Great Recession and the relentless budget cuts it triggered.
So the state is still not producing enough graduates for in-demand fields, such as health care, science and math instruction, engineering, business management and accounting. The report indicates that efforts to produce more degree-holders in the so-called STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) deserve strong support, because baby boomers will be retiring in large numbers and the state is already too reliant on imported workers.
For every 100 graduates with bachelor’s degrees the state produces, it imports 76. For every 100 graduate degree holders, it imports 125, according to a press release from the Higher Education Coordinating Board. An estimated 67 percent of all jobs in the state will require some college education; 47 percent of them will require at least a bachelor’s degree.
The challenge is daunting. First, it costs more to educate students in STEM-related fields, because of technology and laboratories. But steady budget cuts to higher education cut against efforts to open more slots. Tuition increases help close the funding gap, but they can also shut the door to many middle-class students who wish to attend one of the state’s colleges or universities.
The University of Washington has been accepting more out-of-state students because it can charge them more than it costs to educate them, which means an increasing number of rejection notices for highly qualified in-state students. If that trend continues, support from taxpayers could erode.
Given the current budget crisis, there is no hope of immediate aid from the Legislature, but it’s helpful to have this report so that lawmakers can remain focused on the long-term strategy.
Washington’s economy is increasingly dependent on producing graduates in these high-demand fields, which provide a steady market of well-paying jobs. Forecasters note that this spread of jobs will reach more regions of the state. Currently, 46 percent of jobs requiring postsecondary education are in King County, but that’s projected to drop to 41 percent in the coming years. Already, 20 percent of jobs in Spokane County are related to medical care, and that proportion is expected to grow as baby boomers move into their high-use health care years.
The future of the state will depend on how readily it can adapt to these economic trends. Though the state has flunked thus far, that wasn’t unexpected. But as the economy recovers and revenues return to healthier levels, legislators must find ways to increase support for higher education, especially for these in-demand fields.