ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION: IT’S ROLE IN THE AMERICAN ECONOMY

“Globalization is upon us and universities need to prepare their students accordingly. Colleges and universities must be focused on improving our students’ global competency, providing our next generation of leaders with
the ability to think critically – to think globally – in all situations and competing with people from various cultures” (Todd, 2005).

The American economy is an intricate system of multiple components. This delicate, but complex set of systems must work in tandem to ensure America remains viable in a changing global environment. America’s economic structure is designed to provide its citizens with security, wealth, opportunity, independence, freedom, personal and professional enrichment, religious expression, and free public and assessable education. But today a once reliable component of the system is hemorrhaging and if not treated soon the impact on America’s international position as a major economic force in today’s global marketplace will be in peril.

Over the centuries our American educational systems with multifaceted components has been the difference that separated the America economy from all others around the world. America’s educational systems represented America’s most valuable assets and resource. Our educational system is the one aspect in our society all American have come to rely on in times of war, peace, recessions and prosperity. This tireless, yet unheralded component serves as the linchpin that secures America’s place among the elite nations.

However, one aspect of America’s complex set of elements, the American workforce is falling behind other nations. More specifically, the American workforce is sorely lacking in the basic academic and technological skills needed to maintain a competitive edge in the market place, an edge which is eroding daily. The American workforce, a once unbounded strength, capable of amazing achievements is now slowly becoming a liability and threatens the economic health and well being of the United States.

The 21st Century brings with it exciting opportunities, a new world of discoveries and possibilities and at the thrust of this amazing time is technology, rapidly changing and innovative technology. The new economy in the 21st Century will rely more on knowledge power and intellectual capabilities in the areas of critical thinking and Innovative Solution Management (ISM) skills. This new world with its changing technology has the capabilities of turning giants into mortals and mortals into kings. The once clear lead that developed countries such as the United States had in the educational arena is quickly shrinking, as developing countries are rapidly increasing their number and quality of college graduates, while equalizing the access rates to education for those attending secondary and primary schools. The actions of the developing countries have been characterized by Kaplan-Leiserson, (2006) as a “sea change” in the relative education advantage that advanced countries have enjoyed for literally hundreds of years.

The continue change among these developing countries will continue to chip away at the core of America’s economic foundation unless authentic access to higher education for every American who so desires remains a vital and re-newed component in the system of the American economy. An opinion shared by the former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings who stated while speaking at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. "It is time to examine how we can get the most out of our national investment in higher education. We have a responsibility to make sure our higher education system continues to meet our nation's needs for an educated and competitive workforce in the 21st century." (U.S. Department of Education, 2005)

GLOBALIZATION AND THE FLATTENING OF THE WORLD: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR EDUCATION?

Written by

Micheal A. Robinson

Thomas Friedman (2005) stated:

"The flattening of the world is moving ahead apace, and nothing is going to stop it. What can happen is a decline in our standard of living if more Americans are not empowered and educated to participate in a world where all the knowledge centers are being connected. We have within our society all the ingredients for American individuals to thrive in such a world, but if we squander these ingredients, we will stagnate."

The 21st century has brought with it challenging and exciting opportunities, a world of discoveries and endless possibilities. At the nucleus for this amazing time is globalization, to be more specific the advancements made in technology that literally put the world at the click of a mouse. Through emerging technologies, the 21st century economies of developed and developing countries will rely more on knowledge power and intellectual capabilities and less on brut strength. This new world with its changing domains will have the capabilities of turning large countries into small ones and small countries into world leaders. An unwanted conversion that seems likely for America largely because of a technologically deficient workforce. This conversion from world leader to the middle of the pack will become irreversible unless considerable efforts are made to educate an underprepared and changing population of low-tech skill workforce.

United States lead over other countries in education has all but evaporated in recent years. Developing countries are increasing their number and quality of college graduates, while equalizing the access rates to education for those attending secondary and primary schools. The actions of the developing countries have been characterized by Kaplan-Leiserson, (2006) as a “sea change” in the relative education advantage that advanced countries have enjoyed for literally hundreds of years. For the first time in decades the United States no longer leads the developed world in the rate of college completion. In addition, large developing economies, especially China and India, are successfully educating thousands of scientists and engineers in order to compete in the global economy (Accountability for Better Results, 2005).

For most of the industrial age the American workforce has been the difference that separated the American economy from all others around the world. The American workforce has always been the most educated, skilled and the most technologically advanced in the world. However, today America can no longer boast of the being the best and the smartest on the block. In America our most valuable resources is severely underprepard and undereducated and as a result the American economy is in jeopardy of becoming an economic non-factor on the global stage. To address this issue will require a targeted and focus agenda, where quality education exist in the K-12 systems and access and affordability of higher education remains the foundation of the postsecondary systems of America. Educating the workforce is a national priority.

The Influence of Globalization on Postsecondary Education

Written by

Michael and Shelly Robinson

The American infrastructure is moving away from its post-modern tenets of brut strength as a means of bullying markets, to one where the emerging concept of human capital is taking hold. This shift is shaped by an emerging new world that is flat and where value is found in the intellectual abilities of a nation's workforce (Pusser, et al 2007; Friedman, 2005; Duderstadt, 2000). Friedman (2005) in his book, The World is Flat suggested America’s place in the global economy is not secured. He proclaimed if America hopes to be a competitive nation, it must aspire to send every citizen to college. A sizable task when upon review, one finds no more than 30 percent of the adult population has a bachelor’s degree (Gallagher, 2005).

Intellectual prowess will be the new currency throughout the globe, as it is expected over the next twenty years more than 12 million jobs in America will require postsecondary education (Pusser, et. al, 2005). Increase job creation will therefore drive a need for postsecondary education. The expectation that of the 12 million jobs to developed over the next twenty years as much as 60 percent will require some form of postsecondary training or experience (Gallagher, 2005).

To meet these demands, business and industry are looking to colleges and universities to prepare and equip today’s workforce for tomorrow’s jobs (Carruthers, 2006 as cited in Hunt & Tierney, 2006). To remain competitive on a global scale, nations are building their infrastructure around their human knowledge economy and a competent workforce with transferable skills (Hanna, 2003). For Americans this represents a major challenge in an effort to maintain and continue their economic prosperity, as employers can now locate talented and skilled personnel from anywhere in the world thanks to technology (Herzog, 2006).

Today, America’s workforce is unable to meet the demands and expectations of local or global corporations and in 1985 according to Gallagher (2005) only 25 percent of the population had a college degree, now two decades later that number has only risen to 27 percent. Given these figures there is room for growth and development of educational opportunities for American citizens. A highly trained and educated workforce has been directly linked by economists to a nation’s economic health and stability (Dickens, Sawhill & Tebbs, 2006). Dickens, et al. (2006) further suggested business leaders are embracing the concept of human capital and believe ongoing investment in this area will become more important than investments in their physical capital.

What does this mean for postsecondary education? It may require colleges and universities, particularly community colleges to re-examine how they engage the nation of learners. Public institutions of higher education must be willing to become fully engaged participants in the ongoing shaping of this new postsecondary world (Hanna, 2003).

Hanna supposes if postsecondary education is to be successful in addressing the rapidly materializing challenges and demands of the 21st Century learner, there must be a willingness to modify institutional missions, goals, programs, operations and as an outcome create a flexible and responsive institution. Failure to do so could have dire consequences for the less elite public institutions (Dickens et al 2006). Drucker (1997) said it best when he declared, "Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast” (p.45).