Nat Marshall, chairman of the State Board for Community Colleges, testified Tuesday at the Senate Finance Education Subcommittee in support of Governor McDonnell’s Top Jobs legislation.

Here are his remarks: 

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee.

I am delighted to spend a few minutes to talk about the Top Jobs legislation; the Governor’s increased college graduation goal; and the pivotal role Virginia’s Community Colleges will play in meeting that challenge.

While I was invited here today as the chairman of the State Board for Community Colleges, I also offer the perspective of working for a private employer that is proud to partner with our nearby community college to advance our business goals.

Resolution

In a resolution passed last month, the State Board of Community Colleges unanimously endorsed the recommendations put forth by the Governor’s higher education commission.  The three core elements of that document – economic prosperity, reform-based investment and affordable access – are the foundation for this legislation.

The State Board applauds the Governor’s goal of an additional 100,000 college graduates by the year 2025.

It’s the right public policy – especially when we know that before this decade is through, two out of every three jobs available in Virginia will require more than a high school education.

Reaching the Governor’s goal requires an active and vibrant community college system.

Achieve 2015

Virginia’s 23 community colleges enroll more than half of Virginia’s entire undergraduate student population.  We have experienced unprecedented growth with the addition of nearly 48,000 students over the last four years, during a time of equally unprecedented cuts in state higher education funding.

We are encouraged by the long-range thinking and approach that this legislation poses for educational reform, innovation and investment.

Virginia’s Community Colleges have big goals.

We are currently pursuing a six-year strategic plan called Achieve 2015 that contains five goals focused on community needs, not institutional needs. 

We want to grow. We want to remain affordable. We want to increase student success, especially from underserved populations. And we want to expand the number of partnerships we enjoy with private sector employers.

I could speak for hours about these goals and how we plan to reach them, but let me touch on two issues that I believe go to the heart of the policy goals set forth in this legislation – and hold the greatest promise for true reform in higher education, while garnering the greatest return for the state’s investments. 

Promoting Transfer

First, Virginia can and should do more to promote the unprecedented transfer opportunities that have been created between our community colleges and more than two-dozen public and private universities across the state.

The opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree while spending the first two years of study at your nearby community college saves students, parents and taxpayers a lot of money.

The mandatory tuition and fees to attend our community colleges are about one-third of the same costs to attend a public university.

Transfer opportunities make affordable college access a reality to first-generation college students and other underserved populations.

Transfer opportunities increase the capacity of Virginia’s higher education system without the full cost of bricks and mortar expansion for our universities.

And here’s the best part: quality does not suffer. I have heard university presidents say some of their best students come from our community colleges.

Workforce Development

Second, Virginia can and should do more to promote and bolster community college workforce development efforts.  These opportunities create Virginia jobs. 

This work creates Virginia jobs by bringing economic development deals to Virginia, as was the case with the Rolls-Royce plant south of here.

This work creates Virginia jobs by helping existing employers expand, as was the case with Canon, Virginia on the peninsula.

And this work creates Virginia jobs by helping individuals earn industry certifications and credentials that allow them to reinvent themselves to launch a new career, as was the case for many when the paper mill closed in Franklin.

My employer, the Babcox & Wilcox Company is a world leader in developing and supplying nuclear products to the U.S. Department of Energy.

We partner with Central Virginia Community College and they are an important part of our success.  Together, we’ve developed training and educational programs customized to the energy field.  We’ve worked with the Workforce Investment Board to help develop regional career pathways.  And we’ve promoted A-C-T WorkKeys as an industry assessment tool.

This is tough, ambitious work that requires our community colleges to be nimble and flexible.  But when we get it right we help create Virginia jobs.

Closing

In closing, Mr. Chairman, Virginia’s Community Colleges were created 44-years ago to address the state’s unmet needs in higher education and workforce training.

The first year we opened for business, we served 7,500 people at two colleges.

This year, we will serve more than 400,000 people throughout our 23 community colleges.

That “can-do” spirit that marks our community colleges is being called upon once again.

We are proud to answer that call and genuinely excited to play such a prominent role in the partnership that is essential to positioning the next generation of Virginians to really make the most of their potential.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

Posted by Ellen Davenport