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Everyone benefits when students stay competitive in today's work force

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On the path to the American dream today, there is no detour around post-secondary education. Employers increasingly require their employees to have higher-level skills. Those without at least some education beyond high school find themselves at a serious disadvantage in the job market. Meanwhile, the ethnic and socioeconomic makeup of our citizenry is continuing to evolve across the country and here in the Lowcountry, and employers are relying more than ever on workers from the populations that are least likely to complete their education.

American businesses are competing on a global level as never before. Low-skill jobs largely have moved overseas and available jobs are becoming more technology-dependent. Sixty percent of U.S. jobs are held by workers with at least some post-secondary education or training, and

63 percent of the 18.9 million jobs that will be created by 2014 will require some post-secondary education.

A few examples follow of how the Technical College of the Lowcountry is providing access to the American dream:

• More than 200 individuals who seek challenging and rewarding careers are enrolled in TCL's health care programs (nursing, radiologic technology, surgical technology and massage therapy).They will earn a diploma or associate degree that will lead to a job with an average starting salary of more than $35,000 a year.

• Local teens are enrolling at the college before graduating from high school through the Early College Credit Opportunity program. These students are getting a jump start on their college education.

• To meet employers' needs, the college's business and industrial technology programs offer work-force training in HVAC, building construction, electronics, paralegal, computer technology and general business.

Supporting student success is not only good for the students, it is also good for business. If employers in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties are unable to find enough skilled workers, they will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage, losing out to businesses in other regions and other countries. In addition, area taxpayers may find themselves supporting services for more low-wage workers and the unemployed who are unable to afford services, such as quality health care.

It is more critical than ever to educate the American work force to a higher level, including here in the Lowcountry. The Technical College of the Lowcountry, like community colleges across the country, has a track record of providing access to an affordable, quality education to anyone interested in improving their knowledge and skills, including many whose options are otherwise limited. We are very proud of that record but we all -- our college, our community and our policymakers -- must do a better job of ensuring that the students who enter the doors of TCL walk out having accomplished their goals, ready to contribute their best to the economic and civic life of our region.

While providing access is important, it is not enough if students do not have adequate support to persist and succeed. We must be partners with students in their own success.

That is why the Technical College of the Lowcountry has embarked on a number of efforts designed to help students achieve their goals. TCL is one of more than 80 institutions in

15 states participating in Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a national initiative to help more community college students succeed. Through this initiative, we will implement new strategies to improve student achievement and improve our ability to determine what works for students and make critical decisions based on what the evidence shows.

We expect this approach to have a profound impact on the lives of the students directly affected, extending far beyond the personal fortunes of individual students and their families. The future prosperity of our region, our state, and indeed, our nation is at stake. Data show that increasing a state's or a country's average level of schooling by one year results in economic growth ranging between 5 percent and 15 percent.

At the Technical College of the Lowcountry, we have made a good start, but there is much more work to do. We urge members of our community, South Carolina residents and policymakers at all levels to support student success initiatives, such as college readiness programs for high school students, developmental education, student support initiatives, work-force programs, and programs that ease the transfer from the technical colleges to four-year colleges and universities.

We all benefit when students achieve their dreams.

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