The Region's economic future is tied directly to its ability to accelerate educational attainment levels and create a new culture of education in the area, according to the Northwest Indiana Indicators report prepared last year by the Center of Workforce Innovations.
A 10-year mission to have 60 percent of Region adults attain post-secondary education credentials by 2025 is the big goal of partners in education, government and economic and workforce development, according to Linda Woloshansky, CEO for Center of Workforce Innovations.
It's projected that by 2025 more than 60 percent of jobs in the United States will require a post-secondary degree or high-quality credential; a high school diploma no longer is enough.
The 2025 goal requires those living in the area to move from the current 37 percent of adults with higher education credentials to the 60 percent level projected as needed by Region employers.
To meet that goal the focus will remain on key stages of development in the student talent pipeline — middle school to college — as well as adults in the workforce acquiring new skills and credentials, the report said.
Those credentials will include college degrees plus industry and occupational certificates valued by employers.
During the next 10 years, those who have partnered toward that goal will be committed to an annual review of progress across core indicators.
Those core indicators will include:
+ percentage of Northwest Indiana eighth-graders passing or not passing ISTEP;
+ percentage of high school graduates versus non-graduates;
+ percentage of area college students needing remediation versus the statewide percentage;
+ percentage of area college and university students enrolled and degrees awarded;
+ percentage of those working who have attained their educational goals.
The goal of the 10-year mission is to have alignment between current and emerging needs of employers, and the skill and education levels available in the regional talent pool, the report said.
The top 10 careers listed include health care and social assistance, manufacturing, retail trade, accommodation and food services, construction, transportation and warehousing, administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, wholesale trade, professional, scientific and technical services, and government.