Denver, CO - La asociaciones de Colorado han sido formadas para ayudar a los trabajadores que perdieron su trabajo durante el entrenamiento de la pandemia para la economía futura, incluyendo la industria del cuidado de la salud. Comentan Therese Ivanovich, directora ejecutiva en la Red de Educación para la Obtención de Conocimientos de Denver (Denver Education Attainment Network); y Jamie Merisotis, presidente y CEO de la Fundación Lumina.

El Estado Centenario ha tenido desde hace tiempo programas de capacitación, subsidios y otras oportnidades de entrenamiento para trabajadores - y la pandemia también está ayudando a que surjan nuevos. La lucha contra el COVID-19 podría ofrecer acceso al campo de la salud a las personas de Colorado que estén interesadas. La organización "Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative" capacita a miles de trabajadores a través de aprendizajes de rastreo de contactos que pueden conducir a carreras a más largo plazo. Therese Ivancovich, de Denver Education Attainment Network, dice que es uno de los muchos esfuerzos de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral.

"Pensar en esas formas creativas de sumar la experiencia laboral y las oportunidades para ofrecerte esa proxima etapa o esa siguiente nueva destreza que esta sucediendo aqui, en Colorado."

Señala que otra iniciativa prometedora llamada "Listas las Nuevas Capacidades" ("New Skills Ready" ("New Skills Ready"). Obuvo siete millones de dólares en fondos donados por J-P Morgan Chase a varias ciudades, incluida Denver, para hacer que el entrenamiento laboral sea parte de la educación, desde K hasta 12 y post-secundaria.

Jamie Merisotis, autor de un nuevo libro sobre el futuro de la fuerza laboral y Presidente de la FundaciónLumina, dice que las habilidades y capacidades únicas del humano -destrezas que las máquinas no pueden dominar- serán más importantes en el paisaje laboral post-coronavirus. Al menos un etudio calcula que un 40 por ciento de los despidos laborales relacionados con COVID no volverán. Merisotis dice que la crisis es una oportunidad para repensar la educación y la capacitación de la fuerza laboral.

"Para los trabajadores que actualmente enfrentan una perdida de empleo, poder volver al ambiente de aprendizaje, construir su conjunto de destrezas y poder desarrollarlas, te posicionara mejor para este ambiente de cambios en marcha."

Más de 70 mil reclamaciones de desempleados han sido presentadas en Colorado desde marzo, y en general los trabajos se han reducido en más de 130 mil desde septiembre, hace un año.

Merisotis dice que como los trabajadores Negros, Indígenas y Latinos han sido afectados desproporcionadamente por el COVID-19, la capacitación laboral debe adaptarse para servir mejor a esas comunidades.

"Necesitamos asegurar que el hecho de construir nuestro ecosistema de trabajo humano tome en cuenta a esa gente y haga un mejor trabajo, francamente, que los que hemos hecho en el pasado."

En una encuesta reciente, el 60 por ciento de los encuestados negros dijeron que sus hogares enfrentan serios problemas financieros en la pandemia; también el 72 por ciento de los latinos y el 55 por ciento de los nativos americanos, en comparación con el 36 por ciento de los blancos.

El Estado Centenario mucho tiempo ha tenido programas de aprendizaje, Becas "Pell Grants" y otras oportunidades de capacitacion para trabajadores - y la pandemia tambien esta haciendo surgir otras nuevas. Un reporte de Lily Bohlke (BOWL-kee).

Contacte a Merisotis a traves de Tracy Chen, 317-670-0521; a Ivancovich, en el 415-385-2400. Programa de rastreo de contactos: https://bit.ly/3jmQL9Q. Estudio: https://tinyurl.com/y5f5hs7r. Poll: https://tinyurl.com/y6xq8wbl. El libro: https://bit.ly/316DWdp. La Fundacion Lumina aporto apoyo para este informe.

New Mexico is taking a deep dive into its funding of public colleges and universities to determine if inequities need to be addressed. The Higher Education Sustainability Study will review and recommend changes to the formula used to fund higher ed.

Gerald Hoehne, director, Capital Outlay Division with the New Mexico Higher Education Department, said it will look at possible inequities among the full range of sectors - from colleges and universities to research institutions, independent community colleges and branch campuses.

"The differences between community colleges and research institutions - those differences have come into how they're funded. So, this study gives us an opportunity to look at that in more detail," he said.

Community colleges disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color, but New Mexico is among the majority of states where two-year institutions receive thousands of dollars less in education revenue per student enrolled than four-year institutions, according to a 2020 study by the Center for American Progress.

Hoehne expected study results to be available by mid-October ahead of the 2025 legislative session, so lawmakers have insight and can make changes they feel are needed. The Legislature earmarked $187 million for higher education in 2024 - more than double last year's investment and one of the largest investments in higher education in state history. Hoene said an initiative within the study will look at how New Mexico's funding compares to other states.

"To understand if there is different ways in which other states are addressing the different types of institutions and how we potentially may be able to incorporate any changes to our process to address those differences," he continued.

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems is conducting the equity study on behalf of the state.

New York's 2025 budget creates universal access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program.

School districts statewide will have the resources to help high schoolers complete the application. Those who do not fill it out must sign a waiver stating they know of the available aid but are not pursuing it.

Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Sunset Park, the bill's sponsor, said FAFSA's required information can be daunting.

"Some students or some families are well-prepared and well-equipped to review that document and provide that information; some students might not be," Gounardes acknowledged. "Some students might not even know where to turn to get that information, especially if they're the first in their family to pursue college if they're the first generation here."

Some schools have moved closer to charging $100,000 a year for tuition, which Gounardes said can deter students from considering college. But through the FAFSA process, scholarships and grants can provide enough to shave the number down to a more reasonable figure. A Sallie Mae report showed college spending is up as families spend close to $28,000 each year on college.

Feedback for the proposal was positive, considering most high school seniors who complete the FAFSA are likely to go to college after graduation. Gounardes argued the state can build on the progress by reviewing admissions practices to ensure they are fair and do not exclude students from certain backgrounds.

"In particular, I think it's high time we end legacy admissions," Gounardes emphasized. "There's no reason why we should have affirmative action for privileged kids in New York state, especially from institutions that receive significant public dollars either for grants or construction or awards or this or that or whatever."

He introduced a bill ending legacy admissions, which is still in committee. Among public and private colleges in New York, 42% still consider legacy applicants for admissions.

More than 70% of adults with student loans report having delayed at least one significant life event because of their debt situation, yet a new Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll shows few Americans seem to understand the cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree.

During the 2021-22 academic year, the average cost of attendance ranged from $10,000 per year at public two-year institutions to more than $56,000 per year at private four-year nonprofit colleges.

Michele Scott Taylor, Ph.D - is president of College Now Greater Cleveland, a nonprofit that works to increase higher education accessibility.

She said for students who are potentially first-generation college goers or from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the conversations around college affordability can be overwhelming.

"The issue for that subset of the population is really around helping them understand what college costs, but then more importantly, how do I afford it?" said Taylor. "What are the ways in which that I could afford whatever that cost might be? "

The poll found that more than half of never-enrolled and previously enrolled adults say cost is a "very important" reason why they have not enrolled or re-enrolled in college.

Unenrolled adults across race, age and first-generation potential students consistently rate tuition cost as the most important factor in their decision to not pursue a college degree.

Taylor said more efforts should also go toward helping students persist and complete their degree, once they've signed up for those loans.

She said higher-education institutions could work better with college access organizations to communicate their programs and offerings in ways that are enticing to get students to want to enroll.

"We want them to show better their return on investment," said Taylor. "We want them to be a little bit more transparent about the cost and what the costs entail."

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that in the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of undergraduate degree earners nationwide fell for the second year in a row.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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