Governors Link Success of Universities and Colleges to Needs of Marketplace

Strengthening the Role of Higher Education in Driving Economic Growth


Degrees for What Jobs? Raising Expectations for Universities and Colleges in a Global Economy

Governors and state policymakers have come to realize that higher education, including community colleges, four-year colleges and research universities, cannot help drive economic growth in their states unless students' academic training is linked to the needs of the marketplace, according to a report released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).

Degrees for What Jobs? discusses how governors and policymakers in some states are demonstrating that state governments–through leadership, policy decisions and funding strategies–can help higher education institutions recognize and embrace the critical role they play in preparing a state's workforce for 21st century jobs that will enable the state to prosper in the new economy.

"States are looking at ways to move beyond the focus of simply getting more students to earn degrees," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. "Tailoring degrees to the needs of industry and staying attuned to market changes not only serves a state's economy, but also leads to greater marketability for students seeking employment after graduation. When states and higher education institutions coordinate, everyone wins."

Governors and state policymakers in Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington have undertaken comprehensive strategies to align postsecondary education with the state's economic goals.

These pioneering states have taken the following steps, which can serve as a guide for others, to strengthen universities and colleges as agents of workforce preparation and sources of more opportunity, more growth and more competitive advantages in the following ways:

- Set clear expectations for higher education's role in economic development;
- Emphasize rigorous use of labor market data and other sources to define goals and priorities;
- Encourage employers' input in higher education;
- Require public higher education institutions to collect and publicly report impacts; and
- Emphasize performance as an essential factor in funding.


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