The importance of higher ed to business

Nevada's current economic state cries out for a more educated workforce. Changing demographics, technological advances and the dire need to re-skill many Nevadans mean that our state's education system must be more accessible to business. In turn, area companies should seize this opportunity to work with us to help propel our citizenry toward more prosperous times.

Higher education in Nevada takes many forms. Students and employers can take advantage of traditional degree programs, vocational education, customized business training, shorter certificate programs, online courses and even noncredit, skill-specific classes. When you consider employee education or training, it's best to consider a few points.

What are your training goals? Review educational opportunities to see if they will meet your workplace needs. Perhaps you will need a training program designed specifically for your business.

Do you need a skills assessment conducted? Many educational facilities, including TMCC, offer employee skill assessments prior to determining a company's training needs.

Which format works best for your employees and what do various institutions offer? You may need to train your night-shift on duty at your facility or require off-site courses.

Educational flexibility is crucial, especially in an environment where our nation's workforce appears to be losing its acquired skills. According to the Society of Human Resources Management, 58 percent of personnel managers reported that some workers lack necessary competencies to perform their jobs up from 54 percent in 2005.

So why should you invest in employee education? Because higher education can increase your bottom line in these ways:

Job satisfaction: Those with higher levels of education are more likely to experience job satisfaction, said the Education Pays 2010 report conducted by the College Board in September 2010. This study showed that increased job satisfaction came from the employees' sense of accomplishment in performing an important job. In fact, 58 percent of those with a college education (ranging from taking some college courses to earning a degree) reported being very satisfied with their job compared to 50 percent of high school graduates. As you know, job satisfaction leads to greater employee retention and fewer turnover expenses.

Employee adaptability: Retaining and educating employees who understand your business will keep your company from stagnating, giving your workforce the tools to better adapt to change, a constant in today's work environment. According to Adri Buckminster, the author of The Business Benefits of Education, "Employees need a strong educational foundation to learn how to change business procedures and implement new ideas."

Innovation: Your company can better stay on top of the game when you foster an educated workforce. Higher education exposes your staff to an array of ideas and perspectives that when combined with varied employee backgrounds can give your business an innovative edge.

Productivity: In the 2002 Review of Economic Performance and Social Progress, Arthur Sweetman wrote, "Evidence shows that increases in educational attainment continue to have a strong impact on productivity and that education is a worthwhile investment.

Effective workforce: A highly trained workforce possesses the intellectual skills to produce quality products.

For our economy to grow, Nevada must create a population of educated workers. Higher levels of training lead to higher earnings, higher tax payments and more discretionary income. In addition, Education Pays 2010 found correlations between higher education and volunteerism. Thirty percent of those with at least some college donated a median of 50 hours of time during a 12-month period compared to 19 percent of high school graduates.

Unfortunately, in this same College Board study, Nevada ranked last for the percentage of all youth who enrolled in college: only 29 percent. South Dakota came out the strongest at 61 percent over the study period of 2005-2006.

Nevada can no longer afford to be at the bottom of such rankings. Our state must take on this significant challenge to educate a diverse workforce that can be globally competitive.

The New York Times recognized this as a challenge for our country back in 2005 in the article, "What's the return on education?": "... some of the most sought-after benefits from education are economic. Specialized knowledge and skills, lead to higher incomes, greater productivity and generation of valuable ideas ... In recent years, Americans have become keenly aware of the impact of education as freshly educated workers from China and India compete for good jobs once held in the United States."

Education has to be more effective; we can't just ask students to study and pass tests in place of developing skills necessary to become productive members of our society. State educators are working toward change. In partnerships with the Washoe County School District, the University of Nevada and the business community, we are committed to a stronger education system.

We realize that K-16 education must increase focus on better preparing students for an increasingly competitive and diverse workforce; developing and delivering education in a more coordinated manner between school districts and higher education; making employer needs a high priority in educational master planning and creating a more comprehensive portfolio of education/training programs to improve the academic, social and economic standing of each student, thereby strengthening our economy and society.

We want to hear from you to help us in our quest for a stronger economy and a more resilient Nevada. I encourage you to contact me with your ideas on how higher education can better serve your needs.

Jesus (Jess) Carreon is the interim vice president of academic affairs and student services at Truckee Meadows Community College. He can be reached at jcarreon@tmcc.edu.