Gunderson: Modernize the HEA to Reflect Today’s Students and Today’s Schools

Interview with Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, Career Education Colleges and Universities

Q: Last year you announced the campaign to create 5 million career professions in a decade. For those who are not familiar with the campaign can you briefly state the purpose?

A: Our “Campaign to Create 5 million Career Professionals” was created as part of CECU’s effort to convey to policy makers the sector’s importance in meeting the needs of their workforce skill demands. The research for this campaign was developed by independent, external research looking at the specific demands in multiple career fields. By connecting academic programs from institutions in the career education sector to related occupations, and calculating projections based on occupational growth and replacement needs, we have outlined career education’s importance to America’s economic and social future.

Q: Why is this campaign important?

A: With 46.5 million new skilled workers needed in America by 2024, our sector is committed to meeting the needs of our nation’s workforce. Postsecondary and career institutions have committed to do what we do best: provide individuals with career education and skills that lead to real jobs, real wages and a chance at a place in America’s middle class.

The importance of this research is that, for the first time, we connected academic and occupational data from the government with local projections to provide policymakers and employers a clear outline of job skill demand in their community and state.

This shows the integral role career colleges play in meeting the demand for skilled professionals.

Q: It has been one year since the campaign launched. Are you on track to reach the goal?

A: Yes. Nationally, we are well on our way to meeting our 10-year goal of 5 million new career professionals. In 2016, we produced 629,792 new trained workers for our nation’s economy. While this puts us on track to producing 5 million career professionals, it is still almost 100,000 less than we were projected to produce based on replacement and growth needs. We must make up that deficit in future years in order to meet employment demand in many high-growth fields.

Q: You mentioned (in a press release) some states are not on pace. Why is that?

A: This is the result of the dramatic downsizing of our sector with over 1,000 campuses closed since 2010. Only five states met their projection numbers for 2016. Because the projections were calculated based on need due to rising demand for skilled workers, there is huge potential for growth in those states. Moving forward, we are optimistic for growth in our sector.

Q: What were your goals for 2017 and did you reach them?

A: Everything changed with the election of 2016. Our first priority was to communicate with the new Administration in ways that would help them understand both the importance of our sector; and the impact of the past eight years. Our immediate priorities were the Transition Team and then the new voices at both the Department and the White House.

The most important goal was stability for the sector. Yet we also had to address those major regulatory assaults directed our way:

• GE
• BDR
• And the whole number of regulations and precedents established by the former Department leaders.

But, this was not/is not just a repeal of the past. It is also a real focus on preparing for the future. Our HEA Jobs Proposal (HR 4078) is a good example. We also have developed a broad series of recommendations around the topic of modernizing the Higher Education Act to reflect today’s students and today’s schools. A final focus has been the Negotiated Rule Making and the broader regulatory reform.

Q: In May 2017, you unveiled the proposal to connect the HEA to jobs. Where are you on this effort?

A: There is good news. In October, bipartisan legislation was introduced, H.R. 4078, the Expanding Education for America’s Workforce Act. The Expanding Education for America’s Workforce Act of 2017 would ensure that America’s federal workforce investment strategy supports our future workers by providing access, opportunity and quality education to students seeking new or enhanced career skills. The legislation includes important changes in federal policy that begin to create a strategy for higher education policy that is similar to the realities of today’s workforce.

Q: With the new Administration and current environment, do you see any changes related to ACICS or accreditation in general?

A: In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education revoked ACICS’ recognition with horrible ramifications for hundreds of thousands of students, thousands of dedicated faculty and staff, and hundreds of communities and employers that rely on institutions accredited by ACICS.

This heavy-handed, top-down political approach hurts ordinary Americans trying to improve their livelihood.

We are hopeful that the new Administration and Congress can work to create a new era of constructive collaboration that will result in policies that can survive partisan politics.

Q: There is still a lot of negative press about our sector. How can we combat the negative media?

A: Unfortunately, career colleges have been the target of unwarranted and misguided attacks by some policymakers, many of which have been riddled with factual errors. No sector of education is perfect, yet career colleges are frequently singled out even though they are one of the most highly-regulated sectors in all of education.

Q: What are CECU’s goals for 2018?

A: Policies that will modernize and connect higher education to jobs should be at the center of Congress’ reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Working with lawmakers, we have helped introduce bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4078, the Expanding Education for America’s Workforce Act.

The Expanding Education for America’s Workforce Act of 2017 would ensure that America’s federal workforce investment strategy supports our future workers by providing access, opportunity and quality education to students seeking new or enhanced career skills.

We have also presented the Department of Education with 22 recommendations for Regulatory Reform that can help our schools, we will be engaged with the DOE to advance many of the recommendations we submitted into real regulatory reform and relief.

Q: You have Hill Day set for March 2018. Why is hill day important and who should attend?

A: The 2018 CECU Hill Day in Washington, D.C. is a very important opportunity for our schools to get more involved in our political outreach program. There is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to issues in Congress. Showing up and sharing our story with them is the best way for us to be heard by lawmakers. The Hill Day agenda is designed to provide attendees with a peek into the future of the sector as well as the most recent and comprehensive update on the latest federal events and sector research.

STEVE GUNDERSON was named President and CEO of the Career Education Colleges and Universities in January 2012. His appointment continues an entire career of leadership and engagement in the education and workforce investment challenges facing America’s citizens.

This commitment began at the age of 23, when he was first elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature. After three terms in Madison, Gunderson served 16 years in the U.S. Congress and was a recognized leader on education, employment policy, health care, human rights and agriculture issues. Following his career in public service, he was named the senior consultant and managing director of the Washington office of The Greystone Group, a strategic management and communications consulting firm. His portfolio centered around research, writing, speaking and consulting on the jobs revolution in America. He was the lead author of the book “The Jobs Revolution: Changing How America Works” and the sole author of “The New Middle Class: Creating Wages, Wealth and Opportunity in the 21st Century.”

Gunderson spent six years as President and CEO of the Council on Foundations. One of his many priorities at the Council was education and workforce investment. Under his leadership the Council created a division for Public-Private Partnerships where the National Fund for Workforce Solutions operates.

Gunderson graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a degree in Political Science, he then completed studies at Brown School of Broadcasting in Minneapolis. Steve serves on various nonprofit boards including Lutheran World Relief; The Gettysburg Theological Seminary; and The White House Fellows Selection Commission.