Opinion/Watts: Online access to higher education can boost RIs economic recovery – The Providence Journal

Rebecca L. Watts| Guest columnist

Rebecca L. Watts serves as a regional vice president for Western Governors University, a nonprofit, accredited university focused on competency-based learning that currently serves 250 students and has more than 400 alumni in Rhode Island.

If Rhode Islands workforce is to respond to the ever-changing needs of business and industry, and if employers are to provide thriving-wage jobs that allow individuals to advance in chosen career paths, there is work to do.

Rhode Island has been regaining jobs lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August (5.8%) was astoundingly better than in August 2020 (12.6%), it is still slightly higher than the national average (5.2%).

Local industries, ranging from health care and business, to schools and information technology, all require a qualified and skilled workforce to maintain and continuously modernize their service and product offerings. Without a top-notch talent pool prepared with relevant 21st-century skills, employers face the possibility of failing to remain competitive.

Reversing that trend will require expansive, collaborative efforts. An empowered workforce strengthens the state economy and is made up of individuals who have the relevant, modern tools to reach their full potential, developed through education to leverage talents into opportunity.

But the affordability gap in accessing education could grow wider as public and private universities in Rhode Island consider annual tuition increases. Last year, student submittals of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) dropped nationally by 8%.

In March, the U.S. Department of Education reported that in Rhode Island, FAFSA applications declined by a troubling 10.8% compared with 2020. Those who are not submitting applications are part of a critical segment of the states population individuals who have not pursued higher education, and the jobs that could result, largely because they didnt apply for financial aid.

PrepareRI assists prospective learners in completing the FAFSA application, and the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner has set a statewide goal of 70% completion among the states high school seniors. Yet this target reflects only a portion of the talent pool in the state. For adult learners needing to upskill to remain relevant in the workforce, completing the FAFSA is an important step to begin the process.

For learners of all ages seeking education pathways that lead to long-term career success, it is important to call out the career-relevant, high-quality, low-cost option of online, competency-based education,which measures demonstration of skills and subject knowledge rather than time spent in a classroom. For example, in each of Western Governors Universitys four colleges business, health professions, information technology, and teaching competency-based degree programs align with workforce imperatives and are continuously refined with the input of industry partners to ensure that they provide current, relevant high-quality learning pathways.

This innovative learning model is complementary to the many excellent traditional higher education options in Rhode Island, expanding opportunity to fill existing gaps. For many WGUstudents and alumni based in the Ocean State, this model is the only way they can achieve a college degree and continue to advance in their careers without interruption.

Collaborative approaches to post-secondary education also provide a key long-term strategy for workforce investment and economic recovery. WGU partners with community colleges on credit transfers for their graduates, and with local businesses to support human resource objectives and expand access to higher education for their employees. These initiatives support efforts to retain businesses and employees in Rhode Island, so both can thrive.

As Rhode Islands economy moves forward, dramatically changed by COVID-19, the academic needs of Rhode Islanders continue to evolve as well. Higher education has a duty to help connect talent with professional opportunityby offering a variety of ways to trainthe state's workforce with the credentials employers trust.

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Opinion/Watts: Online access to higher education can boost RIs economic recovery - The Providence Journal