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Published on Sunday, May 20, 2007 Gazette Opinion: Growing economy makes '07 great year
for grads
Sunday, May 20, 2007About 1,200 high school diplomas are being awarded in Billings today and Monday during commencement ceremonies for four high schools. Students of the Class of 2007 have much to celebrate. Along with their personal achievements in 13 years of learning, they are entering a job market increasingly favorable to young workers in a state that has just made a substantial commitment to higher education. A funding plan developed last year by the Schweitzer administration and the Board of Regents was approved last week by the Legislature with strong bipartisan support. The cash infusion will freeze resident tuition at all Montana University System units for the next two years. Coming after more than a decade of annual increases, the state aid is a critically important investment in making higher education affordable, and therefore accessible, to Montana students. A boost for higher ed Montana State University-Billings Chancellor Ron Sexton applauded the support from the governor and Legislature. Additional money approved by the special session will complete the new MSU-Billings College of Technology health science and general education building, which is scheduled for completion in January. The Legislature provided modest amounts for new university programs statewide, including $900,000 for distance learning, $1.5 million for job training in high-demand fields and $4 million for equipment and technology. Students will find new programs at MSU-Billings next fall. A bachelor's degree program in criminal justice and general science degree programs have been developed as part of the university's ongoing strategic planning, according to Dan Carter, MSU-Billings director of government relations. A new two-year associate degree registered-nurse program at the MSU-Billings College of Technology is scheduled for reviews by the Board of Regents and State Board of Nursing later this year. Booming job market When economist Larry Swanson graphs work force and job numbers from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, the lines nearly converge. "The biggest thing that new grads should understand is that they are stepping into a sellers' market for labor," said Swanson, director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana in Missoula. "There are fewer people available for each additional job that's created or that opens. And, as we go into the future, this will only become more acute, with a steadily tightening labor market." The labor crunch will drive up wages. "And for new graduates, they need to understand that there is a world of opportunity in front of them and that for those who upgrade their skills and educational credentials, these opportunities will only expand more," Swanson advised. "We've moved headlong into a human-resource-based economy, and those who have good educations and skills that they continually upgrade will reap the greatest benefits." Congratulations, graduates of Central, Senior, Skyview and West high schools. Congratulations to all graduates in Montana and their families. Your academic accomplishments reflect well on the communities that support your schools. Take advantage of higher education. It will open up more exciting opportunities than ever before to launch a successful life in your hometown or home state. Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. |
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