Page 16 - LRCC March 2021 Focus

ECONOMIC CLUB

Rethinking Higher Education

T he impact of COVID-19 has hit higher to make a meaningful impact in the world. President Montgomery says part
especially
hard.
education
Edward
of that involves helping students find their ‘why’.
president
Montgomery,
of
Western
Michigan University (WMU) told the Jan.
28 Lansing Economic Club audience that lessons “This generation wants to come out with a fire in their belly,” said President
Montgomery. “They want to come out with a clear sense of purpose.”
learned from the auto industry turnaround
following the recession years of 2008-2010 Surveys show that 85% of jobs that will be available in 2030 do not exist today.
could serve as a model for emerging from the 25% of jobs are threatened by automation. President Montgomery says those
COVID pandemic. Montgomery led Obama statistics underscore the importance of helping students to be equipped to
administration efforts to transform the struggling adapt to changing circumstances quickly.
auto industry through a series of investments in
new innovations. Those investments helped the “They will have to be able to adapt in ways that we may not be able to imagine
industry overcome sales figures that hit 30 -year Montgomery at all right now,” said President Montgomery. “We have to be responsive to
lows during the recession to all-time record high short-term needs, but we also have to prepare them for what happens when
sales by 2016. that skill is no longer the primary thing that companies need.”
President Montgomery believes higher education can make a similar President Montgomery told the Economic Club that higher education is well-
transformation, but acknowledges it won’t be easy. The challenges in higher positioned for the next decade because it is still a great value and critically
ed have been in the making long before COVID, including concern over rising important for students preparing for a career.
costs, declining graduation rates, and a dramatic increase in the number of
Americans, especially business leaders who felt higher education was headed “It is still one of the most powerful engines for economic advancement that
in the wrong direction. we know,” said President Montgomery. “Throughout a lifetime, a holder of
a bachelor’s degree will make about $3 million more than if they had only
WMU has created what it calls the Rethink Smart initiative, which aims to gotten a high school diploma. Meeting the needs of our young people is
help students pursue and thrive both in their chosen careers and their ability critical in our ability to survive and prosper as an institution.” n

M 3 Group

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