A Strategy for the Land of Steady Habits

State Capital Notes …

If current education patterns continue, Connecticut will produce 23,000 fewer graduates due to a projected decline in high school graduates over the next decade and beyond, according to a Strategic Master Plan for Higher Education released by the Planning Commission for Higher Education in the state.

The plan examines the impact of demographic, workforce and education trends on higher education in the state, sets numerical goals to increase the number of people completing coursework and entering the state’s workforce, and aims to eliminate the postsecondary achievement gap between minority students and the general student population.

Among other recommendations, the plan calls on the state to “align degree production with the workforce needs of the state’s employers” (in fields tagged as state priorities such as STEM, health, digital media and advanced manufacturing ) and “narrow the gap between cost-of attendance and family income.”

“Similar planning could inform policymaking across New England by setting clear goals for higher education in the states and holding their institutions accountable for performance to ensure access to high-quality and affordable education,” said state Rep. Roberta B. Willis, House chair of Connecticut’s Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and a delegate to the New England Board of Higher Education.


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