Chambers partner in effort to trigger discussion about state’s future education

Critical questions about demographic trends and the impact on the state’s economic future have been raised this spring in a series of meetings in Greater Minnesota. More than 100 local leaders came together for the discussions that were co-hosted by chambers of commerce in St. Cloud, Mankato, Duluth and Fargo/Moorhead. Presenters from the Minnesota Private College Council were there on behalf of Learnmore, a new coalition initiative focused on how to ensure that more Minnesota children succeed in school and pursue higher education — for their sakes and the sake of our state's future. 

The presentations highlighted a number of facts:

• The United States has fallen in the ranking of industrialized nations on college participation from second to 15th in just ten years.
• While the number of high school graduates in the United States will increase by 4 percent between 2003 and 2013, the number of graduates will decrease in the Upper Midwest over that same period, including a 10.3 percent drop in Minnesota.
• Graduation rates for Hispanic and black students remain well below the state average — at a time when teens in these groups are increasing in numbers and have the most to gain from staying in school and going to college.
• Students with high academic ability are much more likely to complete college if they are well off. Looking at 8th graders who do very well at standardized math tests, 29 percent of those who are low-income eventually complete a bachelor’s degree, compared to 74 percent of those who are from wealthy families.
• The number of college graduates retiring from the state’s workforce will grow from 9,000 per year in 2007 to 25,000 per year in 2017.

In recent years the Minnesota Private College Council has shared this analysis with various community groups and partners. Under the Learnmore umbrella, these recent conversations with chamber members offered another opportunity to raise awareness and identify new partners to tackle the underlying challenges. Participants in Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead and St. Cloud included local business people, representatives from higher education, K-12 educators, chamber staff and elected officials.

The discussions with chamber members covered several aspects of the issue, from what is being done to maintain affordability of higher education to how best to build student interest in completing high school. “We were delighted to host the Learnmore session for our community and region and found the information provided and discussed very helpful," says David Martin of the Fargo/Moorhead chamber. According to Andy Peterson, director of public policy for the Duluth chamber:

“Because attracting and educating an educated workforce is one our members’ main concerns the Learnmore meeting came at an ideal time. Further, it spurred us to promote investment in higher education as a top priority for our chamber. I would encourage chambers and businesses across our state to become engaged in developing a workforce now before it becomes a crisis.”

It was clear that local business communities are already part of a variety of related efforts, from offering mentoring opportunities for students to raising scholarship dollars. The chamber discussions with Learnmore have triggered additional responses, including interest in sharing the presentation with other audiences and discussion of potential collaborations.

More on Learnmore

This public engagement campaign has been under development since 2005. Now dubbed Learnmore, the initiative is a response to some inescapable truths. Minnesota employers will soon need more new college-educated hires than the state will produce; in market terms, demand will outstrip supply. While various trends are involved, one is particularly stark: too many of our children fail to complete high school, let alone pursue post-high-school education options. For example, only about half of high school graduates enroll in higher education at a Minnesota institution the next fall. This result is even lower among some ethnic groups. 

In today’s knowledge economy, education is the key that opens opportunity and prepares people to adapt to how the world is changing, more than ever before. But future academic success isn’t just good for growing children — it is good for all of us. We all need the state's future workforce to be as prepared as possible. With our rapidly changing demographics and increasing global competition, the continued vitality of Minnesota’s economy is at stake.

Learnmore is the result of an informal alliance of citizens representing business, education, service groups and others, all of whom are concerned about our state’s future. The Minnesota Private College Council has been a catalyst in this effort. Others have stepped forward as early partners and supporters, including the St. Paul Travelers Foundation and the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, who helped underwrite the discussions with local chambers.

Efforts to engage the public are growing and include:

• Follow-up with the communities where the chamber-hosted presentations occurred, as well as efforts to set up additional presentations in new communities.
• The release later this summer of a Web site focused on these issues, at www.learnmoremn.org, which will include an active discussion forum.
• Steps to build awareness through the media, including advertising.

The assumption is simple: Building awareness of these challenges and spurring Minnesotans to identify new ways to help more children succeed in school — and life — is vital to us all. The Minnesota Private College Council will continue to keep you updated on what is underway.

For more information about Learnmore contact Phillip Miner, 651-293-6809.

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