Commit to Building on New England's "Employability" Advantage!

Overview & Synopsis

Higher education has provided New England with an economic advantage, as the region without strong natural resource advantages has relied on its higher education institutions (HEIs) and brainpower. A higher education-based economic advantage has enabled the region to develop strong well-paying technology and knowledge-based industries tied to New England's academic research and development (R&D) capabilities, and to lead the nation in per-capita income (currently 30% above the national average) and unemployment consistently below the national rate. New England would benefit if colleges and universities enabled more of an "employability" (E) advantage for the region. Broadly enhancing the employability of residents by expanding access to advanced education, particularly education aligned with areas in which there are long-term skill gaps, can also lead to well-paying careers for greater numbers of people and help arrest rising income and geography-based inequality in the region. This article discusses what can be done in New England Higher Education to offer an "employability" advantage.