State and Regional Needs Assessment Report (Revised).
Author | : Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board, Olympia |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 157 |
Release | : 2006 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:1063896356 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (56 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: This report includes analysis of student enrollment behavior, employment outlook and training needs, and community needs to understand the supply and demand for postsecondary education in Washington State. The assessment will specifically respond to criteria laid out in state legislation: (1) Projections of student, employer, and community demand for education and degrees on a regional and statewide basis; (2) Current and projected degree programs and enrollment at public and private institutions of higher education, by location and mode of service delivery; and (3) Data from the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges on the supply and demand for workforce education and certificates and associate degrees. Analysis is performed in four parts: (1) Aggregate estimates of the supply and demand of education will be provided; (2) Matrix analysis of major lines of study and occupations showing the distribution of graduates from given majors in occupational groups; (3) High-demand fields, including occupational areas that face the greatest challenges in attracting qualified workers, will be identified; and (4) Regional profiles will provide detailed information on postsecondary participation and rapidly growing occupational areas, by region, of the state. Based on statewide and regional results, the following observations and recommendations are offered: (1) Growth is required throughout the higher education system; (2) Higher education must increase the number of graduates with the skills required to meet employer needs in a number of key occupational areas, including computer science, engineering, software engineering and architecture and health care; (3) Expansion of existing strategies in health care and the development of new programs and delivery mechanism; (4) Development of strategies to increase the number of qualified K-12 teachers in key shortage areas; (5) Additional study to better understand the apparent mismatch between supply and demand for trained workers in key occupational areas; (6) Further analysis in specific regions to identify strategies for improved participation; and (7) Improved methodology and data elements used in the needs assessment to ensure that the needs assessment is an effective tool to guide the growth of the higher education system in the state. The following are appended: (1) Data and Variables; (2) Baccalaureate and Beyond Major Fields of Study; (3) Regional Definitions; (4) Statewide Programs; (5) Related Reports and Data Sources; (6) Included Colleges and universities; and (7) Compendium of Tables. (Contains 28 footnotes, 52 figures and 54 tables.).