Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S. 1677
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Ms. CANTWELL:
S. 1677. A bill to encourage partnerships between community colleges and 4-year institutions of higher education; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss one of the most important issues facing our country today. How we prepare our students to compete for the jobs that are still in demand today and the jobs that will be in demand tomorrow. In order to address this issue, we must increase our support for the entire education and training continuumincuding secondary schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities.
Today, I want to focus on one key part of this continuum: community and technical colleges. Nationwide, there are now more than 1,100 of these institutions, which enroll 10.4 million students. For over a century, community colleges have grown and changed with the times. No other segment of higher education is more responsive to its community and workforce needs than the community college. Whether providing academic preparation for a 4-year degree, or technical training for a job requiring a community college credential, 2-year institutions play a very significant role in creating a skilled workforce.
However, transfer rates are low: only about one quarter to one third of those students who intend to transfer to a 4-year institution actually do so. These low transfer rates and the continuing challenges employers face in finding skilled workers mean that we must strengthen the connections between community colleges and 4-year institutions and between community colleges and employers.
I am introducing a bill today that will address these issues. The Community College Partnership Act of 2003 will encourage partnerships between community and technical colleges and 4-year colleges and universities. This bill will provide $70 million for 6 to 12 grants to partnerships between 2- and 4-year institutions to identify and address barriers to staying in school, to transferring to a 4-year institution, and to responding to the demand for skilled workers in high-quality, emerging and established industries.
The fact is employers depend on skilled workers to provide services and produce goods. Even in this time of high unemployment, some employers are having hard times finding skilled workers. For example, according to the American Hospital Association, there are 126,000 nursing positions that are unfilled across the country. In Washington State, there are currently 2,564 nursing vacancies even though our State ranks as one of the highest unemployment States. Why are these jobs going begging? The answer is that we have a lack of trained workers.
From personal experience as both an employee and as an employer, I understand the importance of skills in the private sector. When I changed careers several years ago, I was able to succeed as a software company executive because I had the chance to get a good basic education. I come from a working-class family, but I was able to be the first in my family to get a college degree, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program.
As an employer in that software company, I realized that because of the fast pace of change we needed to hire a workforce of people who were prepared to respond quickly to changing situations. We also had to hire people who could create new ways of doing business literally overnight. I strongly believe that a good basic education coupled with lifelong training opportunities are key to equiping workers with the types of decision-making abilities necessary to be successful in today's economy.
Yet, we are failing at our job of preparing workers. There is a crisis in our education and training system. Underfunding is a significant issue. Both 2- and 4-year institutions lack the capacity to respond to demand. More State and Federal investment is essential. However, to truly close the skills gap, we must also address the other problems 2- and 4-year institutions face. These problems center on keeping students in the system and advancing them to the next level.
The sad reality is that along the way to a good basic education, students get diverted away from their goals. In high school, they may lack information about the opportunities higher education promises. If they make it into a community college, they may be forced to abandon their education because the opportunity cost of not earning a wage is too high. If they do earn an associate's degree, the transition to a 4-year institution is fraught with challenges.
Agreements between 2- and 4-year institutions to accept students may not exist. Credits may not easily transfer. Community or technical college students may need additional tutoring, mentoring or support to succeed in a 4-year institution. Programs and schedules may be structured to preclude work and studya growing necessity as college costs rise.
These are significant barriers than can and should be addressed. That is why I am introducing the Community College Partnership Act today. I am proud of this bill and believe that it will go a long way toward closing our skills gap. In addition, however, I remain committed to addressing the significant funding shortfalls that our educational institutions face.
Ensuring students get the skills necessary for our new economy is essential. We must meet the needs of employers who have unfilled jobs now, as well as employers in emerging technologies that will provide significant job opportunities in the coming years.