The debate over the value of a college education appears to be settled, not only do employers value employees with a bachelor's degree, they may actually value them too much. This author believes that there is a dramatic credentials gap in the American workforce between the education levels employers are requesting in job postings and the…

For southern New England, the middle-skills gap is projected to become acute by 2020, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Historically and currently, the middle-skills labor pool in Massachusetts has been significantly below national rates and has been recently experiencing a decline. Closing the middle-skills gap depends on improving…

Not surprisingly, low-income students are more likely than their higher-income peers to start postsecondary education at lower-cost community colleges than at four-year institutions. Add this fact to the booming enrollment at community colleges--approximately 7 million students or nearly half of all undergraduate students today--and one can…

The Massachusetts community college system is entering a second year with funding for each of its 15 schools determined using a new performance-based formula. Under the new model, 50% of each college's allocation is based on performance on metrics related to enrollment and student success, with added incentives for "at-risk"…

Accuplacer is, like the SAT, a suite of tests. It assesses concrete English and math skills--things like decimals, percents, equations, reading comprehension and basic writing skills. Accuplacer tests are used by community colleges, state colleges and public universities in all New England states to place incoming students in the right courses.…

Within the information technology sector, cybersecurity is considered its own supersector. As information becomes increasingly digitized and a growing array of transactions can be completed in the cloud, people, governments and enterprises become increasingly more vulnerable. The Identity Theft Resources Center (ITRC) reports nearly 5,000 breaches…

When MIT approached Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) to participate in edX, the new Harvard/MIT massive open online course (MOOC) initiative, the administrators reacted with both interest and skepticism. What did MIT have in mind for Bunker Hill Community College? Today at BHCC, the establishment of "Learning Communities" transforms…

Even as the economy appears to have turned a corner, high unemployment persists. Strangely, as millions nationwide struggle to find work, there are millions of jobs that remain unfilled. High unemployment rates may therefore have less to do than commonly assumed with an economy that is not healthy enough to produce jobs or employers who are…

Why is "remedial" or "developmental" education such a hot issue? Partly because it costs time and money and casts doubt on the elementary and secondary education systems that we assume will prepare students for college. The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) explored solutions to the problem at a recent forum in Kennebunkport, Maine,…

A number of economists, policymakers, elected officials, and employers cite a "skills gap" as the reason the nation is not putting more people back to work. The problem, they reason, is that too many people have the wrong skills for today's jobs, and colleges and universities are not doing enough to prepare people with the right skills. The idea…

Anyone who fixates on graduation rates has little understanding not only of the rich mission and value of community colleges, but also how deeply flawed and inadequate those rates are as a principal assessment tool for the performance of community colleges. In this article, the author discusses what is wrong with the use of graduation rates as the…

The New England states continue to experience slow growth and slow recovery of the jobs lost in the 2008 to 2009 recession. The main reason for this is the continued weakness in global and U.S. economic conditions. The U.S. and New England economies continue to be affected by the weak European economy and sovereign debt crisis and by weakness in…

Only a generation ago, universities like Northeastern and Boston University had campuses strategically sprinkled throughout eastern Massachusetts. Lesley University offered graduate education programs across the U.S. BU had a contract with the U.S. Army to deliver master's programs on military bases throughout Europe. Mega-high-tech companies,…

Connecticut's strategy for higher education focuses on one central goal: to increase student success. While other states in New England and beyond are increasing the percentage of adults with degrees, Connecticut's rate of increase for young adults has dropped to 34th out of 50 states. For a state among the nation's richest and home to world-class…

Thanks to its dedicated teachers and committed students, Massachusetts leads the nation in student achievement and classroom innovation. Massachusetts has made education its top priority because it's the path to a more fulfilling life, a more rewarding career and a richer society. The author has personally experienced the transformative power of…