The Assembly Higher Education Committee held its first hearing on March 3rd, adopted committee rules, heard several bills, and conducted an informational hearing on the future of workforce supply and demand.

The chair, Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) introduced the new vice chair, Connie Conway (R-Visalia) as well as his other committee members which include - Marty Block (D-San Diego), Paul Cook (R-Yucaipa) and former political science professor at CSU San Bernardino, Cathleen Galgiani (D-Tracy), Alyson Huber (D-Lodi), Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) and Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City). Mr. Portantino announced that the policy committee will likely hear 65 measures introduced this year and indicated this was about 20 more bills than in 2008.

Dr. Nancy Shulock, Executive Director for the Institution for Higher Education Leadership and Education at CSU Sacramento, presented the findings of her work “The Grades are In – 2008: Is California Higher Education Measuring Up?”

Dr. Shulock and her research partner, Colleen Moore, reported on the highlights of what is their third report on this subject. In their report to the committee they presented the three key issues they identified facing the state currently as it pertains to higher education. These key issues included the fact that:

1. California lags many other states in education attainment and economic competitiveness, primarily because growing regions of the state lag other regions in performance,
2. The policies enacted to guide California’s highly regarded systems of public postsecondary education matter a great deal to the future of California, and
3. The state’s budget problem should not deter action; there is much that can be done to improve college success that does not require major investments.

They also noted some findings in key categories:

• Preparation: Not enough high school students are ready for college success.
• Affordability: Higher education has become less affordable.
• Participation: Enrollment patterns are mixed.
• Completion: Enrollment too often fails to lead to degrees completion.
• Benefits: The public benefits associated with educational attainment may be at risk.

Dr. Hans Johnson, Associate Director and Senior Fellow at Public Policy Institution of California presented Dr. Deborah Reed’s work “California Future Workforce: Will There be Enough College Graduates?” Dr. Johnson indicated that over the past several decades, the demand in California for college-educated workers has grown. But the supply of college graduates has not kept pace with demand, and it appears that this “workforce skills gap” will not only continue but widen.

The demand for college education workers in 2025 would be equivalent to 41 percent of California workers. PPIC’s study examines the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the potential mismatch between the level of education the future population is likely to possess and the level of education demanded by the future economy. Dr. Reed concludes that if current trends continue, California will experience a serious shortfall of college graduates by 2025, unable to meet its needs even through the migration of college graduates from other states. You can find the study at www.ppic.org Click on the “policy areas” tab at the top page, and find the “education” link to the report.

For a full copy of either above referenced reports we have provided you the links below:

"The Grades are In - 2008: Is California Higher Education Measuring Up?"

“California Future Workforce: Will There be Enough College Graduates?”