“The state’s role is central in laying out educational goals for our state workforce and our public institutions,” attendees were told during the Texas Association of Business “60x30TX Higher Education –Ensuring a Skilled Workforce”. During the conference Woody Hunt, Higher Education Strategic Planning Committee Chair, cautioned that if Texas does not sustain educational progress, the consequences of inaction will result in personal income dropping. Additionally, Hunt argues, without improvements in education attainment state revenues will decline and expenditures will increase. The challenges presented by Hunt are addressed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s new strategic plan 60x30TX. The plan builds off of the recent Closing the Gaps initiative and has 4 goals: 1) 60% of Texans aged 25-34 will have a postseconday credential or degree, 2) 550,000 students will complete a certificate or an associate, Bachelor’s or Master’s; 3) All award recipients form Texas Public Institutions of Higher Education will graduate from programs with identified marketable skills; and 4) the average undergraduate student loan debt of graduates from Texas Public Colleges and Universities will be no greater than 60% of the average first year wage.
Panels during the conference spoke on how those goals can be achieved. During the Legislature’s Role panel discussion, Sen. Kirk Watson noted the goals are audacious in large part because of what Texas will need to do to achieve it. Rep. John Zerwas said looking at outcomes of higher education institutions may possibly be an interim study but Rep. Zerwas and Rep. Watson noted that colleges are different resulting in varying outcomes. Rep. Clardy also stated as a concern that accumulated student debt is on an unsustainable path.
Discussions also revolved around the amount of time it takes for a student to graduate with a postsecondary degree and the length of time it should take for a student going through a “period of discovery” while settling on a degree path. Rep. Clardy suggested the period of discovery could be moved earlier into life such as 6th-8th grade.
Hunt highlighted that one major trend is the increase in jobs requiring postsecondary education. In 1973 there only 28% of all U.S. jobs that required postsecondary education/skills. However, by 2020, 65% of all new jobs will require postsecondary education/skills further underscoring Hunt's point that there is an 80% correlation between education levels and income.