In the midst of national and statewide economic uncertainty, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, business leaders across Rhode Island continue to express a common, shared concern about the economic outlook of the state. Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi said recently in a call with reporters that recovery for Rhode Island could take up to twice as long (six years) as national job recovery and that things are going to get worse before they get better.
It’s understandable to have lingering doubts about the economy. Though the number of Rhode Island-based jobs rose since September, the state’s unemployment rate of 7% in October was about that of the national average of 6.9% but double what it was a year ago.
Because of the pandemic, Rhode Island also saw a decline in undergraduate college enrollment by 8.1% in 2020, double the national average drop of 4.4%. This deepens to an alarming 14.2% decline when segmented for four-year private, nonprofit colleges. This does not bode well for would-be students looking to secure or improve their careers. Experts note that 78% of unemployed Rhode Islanders do not have a college degree and 25% of them are nonwhite.
National data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that the steepest decline is with male enrollment in community colleges: Black males (19.2%), Hispanic males (16.6%) and white males (14%). This is especially worrisome as historically we have seen an increase in community college enrollment in times of economic weakness, with unemployed workers seeking new skills to change careers.
The academic needs of Rhode Islanders continue to evolve and change.
Rhode Island’s outstanding colleges are continuing to provide life-changing education for many, making a positive difference for individuals, families and communities. For some people, however, another approach might make getting a degree or industry-relevant certification more attainable. This is especially true for historically underrepresented communities – including first-generation college students, low-income populations, students of color and working adults.
Western Governors University’s accredited, online, competency-based model has proven to be extremely effective for students and employers alike.
Competency-based education measures skills and subject knowledge rather than time or “hours” spent in a classroom. Each WGU student individually progresses through courses as soon as they can prove they have mastered the material, rather than advancing only when the semester or term ends. Students accelerate through their learning at their individual pace, fitting their studies into the spaces of their lives. Mentors provide individualized learning support to keep learners on track to complete their degrees.
As Rhode Island’s economy moves forward in a landscape dramatically changed by COVID-19, innovative approaches to college education provide a key long-term strategy for workforce investment and labor-market recovery. Without a top-notch talent pool prepared with relevant 21st-century skills, Rhode Island businesses face the possibility of failing to remain viable and competitive. It’s critical to establish alliances with local businesses to support their human resource objectives and expand access to higher education for their employees. WGU’s workforce-development efforts include skills mapping – an industry-by-industry, sector-by-sector, job-by-job description of needed skills and their value in the workplace.
Innovative learning models are complementary to traditional higher education options in the state, expanding opportunity to fill existing gaps. The academic needs of Rhode Islanders continue to evolve and change, as do regional workforce needs and the demand for specific skill sets. Higher education has a duty to transform as well, and to help connect talent with professional opportunity by offering a variety of ways to train Rhode Island’s workforce with the credentials employers trust.
Rebecca L. Watts is a regional vice president for Western Governors University, a nonprofit, accredited online university based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university says it has 500 students and alumni in Rhode Island.