Higher Education Advisory recommends priorities to Shannon Gilkey

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE)-  This Wednesday, December 9, Rhode Island Commissioner of Postsecondary Education Shannon Gilkey released the report of recommendations by his advisory committee who want to guide people with higher educations in Rhode Island for the next five years.

“Essentially, the Advisory Committee found that in order for the state to make good, living-wage jobs with longevity accessible to more Rhode Islanders, the higher education system needs to focus its efforts on students who sometimes find themselves struggling to earn degrees and credentials that will qualify them for those very jobs,” said Commissioner Gilkey. “Rhode Island needs to make the college/workforce training experience easier for any person, at any age, to attain any degree or credential without complications. For too long, the people who enter workforce training or college on a different schedule than the ‘right-after-high-school’ path discover that their path can be fraught with issues such as debt, childcare, full-time work, biases, limited choices, and outdated policies. Fortunately, we have an established base of resources, talent, vested parties, and the sheer will to make our higher education system more accessible, more affordable, and more helpful to learners.”

“Upon examination of the data, it is clear that students who are black, indigenous, or persons of color are underrepresented in the workforce training and college sectors,” said Ledbetter. “Addressing adult BIPOC barriers with direct resources will substantially improve both persistence and completion rates for Rhode Islanders pursuing higher education.”

Added Weygand, “As a state, we need to help BIPOC students in K-12 classrooms start their college experiences earlier and with more marketing, education, and outreach. The programs to earn college credits and even associate degrees are available, but most are underutilized and favored by white students. The expansion to all high school students will boost attainment and enable high school graduates to continue on successfully to college or begin work with necessary credentials already in hand. A statewide program for prior learning assessment will also enhance these opportunities.”

Other recommendations given by the advisory committee included workforce training, equity in enrollment, adding advisors, and inform legislators about problems with public education.