Higher education: Business, state leaders stress skill training

BISMARCK -- North Dakota's higher education system needs to start turning out more skilled graduates of associate and certificate programs because that's where the jobs are now and in the future, state and business officials said Wednesday.

And many of those jobs, such as in the energy industry -- coal, oil and processing plants -- are high-paying.

The challenge, said participants in a meeting of the revived Higher Education Roundtable, is getting parents and students thinking as much of careers in trades and skills as they currently do of four-year degree programs.

"Young North Dakotans don't know what's available to them" in skilled, technical and trade careers, said John Richman, president of the North Dakota State College of Science.

Others at the meeting said the mission of school counselors needs to be aimed more at career counseling than it is now.

"The private sector needs to say what certificates (in skilled and technical jobs) are needed" said Dennis Jones, a Colorado consultant assisting the Roundtable.

Another challenge is overcoming the stigma of attending community colleges, participants said Wednesday.

Don Morton, of Microsoft in Fargo, said his company would rather recruit new workers from the area instead of hiring people from out of state because they're more likely to stay.

And lower attrition saves money, he said.

The Roundtable, a concept created in 1999, brings together business leaders, higher education officials, legislators and other state government officials to create focus for the North Dakota University System. It had not met since 2006. Sixty people were assembled at Wednesday's meeting.

Rep. Ken Svedjan, R-Grand Forks, is chairman of the Roundtable and the Legislature's interim Higher Education Committee.

He said Wednesday it was important to convene the Roundtable again to make progress on one of its earlier cornerstones known as "sustaining the vision."

Svedjan said the Roundtable likely will meet again in June.

Cole writes for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Herald.