A new labor report revealed the current annual rate of degree and certificate completion at Kansas colleges and universities would be insufficient to meet anticipated growth in demand for young, educated workers and could leave the state’s economy with an estimated 34,000 shortfall by end of this decade. Analysis by the Institute for Policy and Social Research at the University of Kansas delved into challenges of surging higher education attainment in Kansas despite a declining percentage of high school graduates interested in college, the out-migration of Kansas college graduates to Missouri, Colorado and Texas, and the lack of competitiveness of salaries paid Kansas workers in engineering, business and other fields compared to peers in nearby states. Failure of state lawmakers, education leaders and employers to address labor gaps, especially demand for recipients of bachelor’s degrees, could impede economic development through 2030.
Source: KAKE – News
