View this article in the Virginian-Pilot…
by ODU President Brian Hemphill & Kirk Cox
“Virginia’s biggest competitive strength is its education system.”
This clear statement came from CNBC, which ranked our education system No. 1 in the country again this year. The opinion was echoed by business and higher education leaders who convened in Richmond last week for the annual Education and Workforce Conference sponsored by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC) and Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Virginia’s high-performing public and private nonprofit higher education institutions provide businesses in the commonwealth with the best prepared employees in the country. The state’s colleges, universities and community colleges also equip managers and entrepreneurs to lead and grow enterprises, and they produce the innovations that enable hundreds of new businesses to start up each year.
In the fierce competition to attract job-creating investment from outside the state, they provide Virginia our winning edge as the “Top State for Talent.”
With all that at stake, it was not surprising that both candidates for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, made time to attend last week’s conference and share their plans for higher education. They acknowledged the vital role higher education institutions play in creating excellent job and career opportunities for our young people. And they expressed a commitment to ensuring that Virginians continue to have affordable access to these life-changing benefits in the years ahead.
Their expressions of support are consistent with the high priority that Virginia’s leaders have given to higher education in recent years. And Virginians strongly agree, as reflected in a survey released earlier this year. More than 80% of individuals surveyed expressed pride in Virginia’s top-ranked higher education system. A similar percentage said our high education institutions are “well run” and a “sound place to invest public dollars.”
The return on that investment is second to none.
Higher education institutions are major employers and catalysts for economic growth in every Virginia region, producing more than 188,000 jobs statewide. Every tax dollar spent on our higher education system generates more than $25 in economic output in the commonwealth and returns nearly $2 to the state treasury. The investment more than pays for itself.
The biggest winners are the young Virginians and career-changing adults who are equipped to gain well-paying jobs. For some, a bachelor’s or associate’s degree provides the ticket to success. For others, it is an advanced degree from our doctoral-granting research universities or an industry-recognized credential gained through various educational providers across our state. Whatever the chosen pathway, Virginia’s public and private nonprofit higher education institutions excel at turning talent into opportunity.
It is especially important to recognize this distinctive value proposition now. Second only to the health and safety of Virginians, investing in talent should be our top priority. The investments should be focused where they will produce the greatest impact for our state and its residents.
To help provide that focus, VBHEC this month released its “Virginia Higher Education Impact Agenda.” The plan identifies 27 investment priorities in four major categories:
- Talent Pathways and Internships: Providing all undergraduate students with paid internships that provide workplace experience and connect students to Virginia employers for full-time employment after graduation;
- Affordability and Return on Investment: Improving affordable access to college so that every student has access to high-quality degree and credential programs that lead to in-demand jobs and strong returns on their educational investment;
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Supporting leading-edge research, converting discoveries into business start-ups, and investing in innovative projects with strong regional and local economic impact.; and
- Solving Problems and Strengthening Communities: Preparing the next generation of contributing citizens and problem-solving leaders who can bridge differences and make our communities, commonwealth, and country stronger.
Investing in these priorities will preserve Virginia’s competitive advantage as the top state for talent.
It will help ensure that talented young Virginians stay in the commonwealth for employment after graduation.
And it will give all Virginians affordable access to the talent pathways that can transform their lives.
To learn more about the Virginia Higher Education Impact Agenda and how you can help, visit growth4va.org.
Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., is president of Old Dominion University and a member of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. M. Kirkland “Kirk” Cox is president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council and a former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.