The second in this year’s Humanities Speaker Series will focus on the connection between how a two-year or a four-year academic degree fits into the changing workforce in Nevada — whether the extra price tag of a university degree will serve students well in the evolving job market.
Entrepreneur Dusty Wunderlich will speak about the economics of degrees and the increasing value of a community college degree in Nevada’s changing workforce. The event is part of the Humanities Speaker Series at Truckee Meadows Community College, and will take place on April 20. Students in the region and members of the community are invited to “Nevada Workforce, the Humanities and a Future without Expensive Student Loans.” The presentation is free and open to the public.
When: Thursday, April 20, 6-7 p.m.
Where: Sierra Building, room 108, Dandini Campus, 7000 Dandini Blvd., in Reno
Nevada’s workforce is rapidly changing as major manufacturing firms, technology companies and logistics operation centers move in. Entrepreneurship is on the decline nationwide and is especially sparse in rural areas such as Northern Nevada, Wunderlich said.
In his presentation, Wunderlich will explain how students may consider the economic indicators and make informed decisions about education to best establish a successful future. “Students at community college campuses may be gaining an advantage to those with four-year degrees at this point in time,” Wunderlich said. “It’s important for our future workforce to match their education to the actual needs in our economy. Right now, the biggest gaps in the workforce are among skills that can be developed and honed right here.”
Wunderlich grew his career in private equity before beginning his own company more than three years ago. He founded Bristlecone Holdings in Reno, a high-growth financial technology company that employs a staff of nearly 50. He recently released news that he will be leaving the company and beginning a new project to be announced. From the success of Bristlecone he has developed a keen understanding of the economy and first-hand insight into hiring for tech jobs in the region that informs much of his platform on education.
“Dusty is part of a growing trend of experts urging students and educators for matching education supply to the demands of a changing job market,” said TMCC and UNR professor Blakely Hume. “We’re lucky to have such an informed activist making specific sense of this topic within the context of Nevada’s market.”
For more information about the Humanities Speaker Series, or the Humanities Department at TMCC, please call 775-674-7945.
