Headed in the right direction Mississippi appears to be on track for an impressive educational achievement: By 2030, more than 50% of its workers aged 25 to 64 will have a college degree, equivalent credential or industrialtraining certificate. This continues a big leap forward for the number of residents seeking further education after high school. In 2019, only 44% of working-aged Mississippians had a college or equivalent background — the fourth lowest rate of any state in America. The higher goal is part of the state’s Ascent to 55% initiative. The good news, according to the Mississippi Today website, is that the Woodward Hines Education Foundation estimates that the state will blow past that target by the end of the decade, hitting 59%. Just by itself, the increased achievement rates in college education and job training are a very positive thing. It is true that the rates of other states are rising too as the country continues its transition to a computer- and technology-based economic focus. But Mississippi’s improvements imply that the state will be more competitive in seeking or starting businesses that require skilled workers who are paid more. A few cautions naturally are part of all this good news. One is a modest degree of skepticism about the idea that more Mississippians with a college background or job-training certificate automatically will lead to economic growth in the state and more jobs. Theoretically, that should happen. It would be wonderful if it did. But first the state must convince more of the workers and college graduates it produces to stay in Mississippi. We are competing with every state in the South for jobs and workers, and we have a ways to go to catch up. Another is that the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in the spring of 2020, has contributed to a decline in the number of Mississippians going to college. A non-profit that works to encourage education after high school told Mississippi Today that the pandemic highlighted inequities between the haves and the havenots. More high school graduates and workers must recognize how to become one of the haves. And finally, if the state’s college and jobtraining percentage really is headed into the mid- to high-50s, we need to see who’s still missing the boat and figure out how to get more of them to aim higher. Higher education impediments include: • Mississippi’s three college financial-aid programs largely exclude adults, who are a few years late to the ability to earn a degree. • Students from lowincome families are less likely to complete college than students from wealthier families. • Black students are much less likely to complete college than white ones, even though both groups start higher ed at the same rate. If we can chip away at these issues, and get people into the right majors and training programs, the possibilities for Mississippi are immense. The state is heading in the right direction.
