Too many jobs, not enough workers: PASSHE trying to close workforce development gap
By KELLEN STEPLER
TribLive
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is implementing strategies to bolster workforce development, including an expansion of work-based learning at Slippery Rock and manufacturing apprenticeship programs at Indiana and Pennsylvania Western universities.
“The national narrative is a big question mark around the return on investment on a college degree,” said Shelley Scherer, president and CEO of the PASSHE Foundation. “That narrative is powerful. Students that have gone through college have a heightened awareness of, ‘Will this degree benefit me economically?’ ” The PASSHE Foundation, the philanthropic and fundraising partner of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is undergoing initiatives to develop work-based learning experiences for students. It also focuses on providing a labor market and data to help universities align academic programs to workforce needs, Scherer said.
A March 2024 state Department of Education study found 61,000 jobs in the state that require education beyond high school and not enough qualified workers to fill them. By 2032, it’s predicted there will be 218,000 jobs that lack workers with postsecondary-level credentials. To eliminate that shortage, the state must increase its postsecondary attainment rate by 4.4%.
Those challenges are coupled with an aging population in Pennsylvania and an increased skepticism around the return on investment of higher education.
Scherer cites a Gallup-Lumina poll that showed 53% of college graduates wished they had access to career coaching while completing their degree.
“That was an astounding indicator that now, students are trying to understand career opportunities while in college,” Scherer said. “We’re looking to strengthen career advising infrastructure using assets we already have and build into not only training for faculty but also for students and families.”
PASSHE launched a pilot program for work-based learning at five of its universities — the only local one being Slippery Rock — in fall 2024, with the hopes of expanding to all 10 schools, Scherer said.
The initiative embeds real- work experiences — internships, apprenticeships or job shadowing —into the academic curriculum, Scherer said. Students also identify opportunities that align with their career interests.
She said students with work-based learning experiences connect to better first jobs, in turn leading to higher earnings.
“Students who have meaningful, paid internships or work relationships with an employer before they graduate are more likely to stay with that employer or a similar employer,” Scherer said. “The more we can build social capital, the intentional work-based learning experience in college, the more likely they’ll have an opportunity with employers in Pennsylvania.”
There is also a focus on advanced manufacturing apprenticeships at IUP and PennWest, Scherer said.
“We look at apprenticeship programs these organizations already deliver in the advanced manufacturing space and build on top of these stackable credentials that lead to a bachelor’s degree.”
Having a bachelor’s degree can make a job applicant more attractive for promotions or leadership roles, Scherer said.
“They need leaders who can step into roles and also understand the groundwork,” she said.
Pennsylvania has a high cost of higher education, Scherer said. The foundation, with a $250,000 donation from Highmark, supports 100 juniors at state system universities with two-year scholarships. Nearly half of recipients are first-generation college students or come from low-income backgrounds.
