By J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D.
Are you looking for someone to fill an open position at your place of work or business? Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, particularly in rural areas. It’s also a challenge facing employers across America.
Why is that? Recent reports may offer some clues.
At least one concludes that more than 15 percent of individuals ages 16-24 living in Cochise County are neither working nor in school. This parallels measures at the state level – Arizona ranks 47th – and exceeds the national average of 13 percent. The Opportunity Index (www.opportunityindex.org) is an annual composite measure at the state and county levels of economic, educational and civic factors that expand opportunity. It also finds that only 33.5 percent of Cochise County adults age 25 and older hold an associate’s degree or higher; according to this indicator, the county population lags behind both Arizona and the U.S.
The index suggests that two people born in similar towns in different states may have very different experiences, while also asking if all children should have access to equal conditions of opportunity. It reports on median income, affordable housing, and poverty; preschool enrollment and higher education achievement; and community safety and disconnected youth.
The index was developed by Opportunity Nation and Measure of America. Opportunity Nation is a national campaign comprised of more than 350 cross-sector organizations working together to expand economic mobility and close the opportunity gap in America. In conjunction with United Way, Measure of America has developed a tool to forecast how things might change in a community if educational outcomes were better.
I used the forecaster at www.measureofamerica.org to change the percentage of Cochise County residents who have not completed high school from 14 to 0 percent. The results are significant. It added two years to the average life expectancy, more than halved the murder rate, increased average earnings by some $9,000, reduced the poverty rate by 5 percentage points, decreased unemployment by 3 percentage points, and increased the voting rate by nearly 10 percentage points. This exercise literally moves the needle.
While it might seem farfetched that we will reach 100 percent of residents achieving a high school diploma, we can make progress toward that ideal. Imagine if the percentage of those lacking a diploma were cut in half.
We at Cochise College are very conscious of these statistics, as they highlight areas of educational need that we are positioned to fill. One solution is to enhance student success, and that means everything from how prospective students first interact with the college to how they identify and achieve their goals. This semester, we are working on the details of a cohesive student success effort, some aspects of which are already in place. Our plan includes outreach to schools and a community awareness campaign; streamlined enrollment processes; redesigned developmental education curriculum in math, English and reading; and a student success component that places those who need it in an Academic Success Seminar.
The Cochise College foundation also is implementing an annual fundraising drive to grow support for scholarships. My vision is that there will come a day when there is enough local financial assistance to help every Cochise College graduating high school senior, and to inspire students to achieve that goal.
As you can see, bolstering student success is a multi-faceted effort.
There is a way you can help students and the local workforce in the short term. The foundation is now seeking donations of cash or auction items for a fundraising event – An Evening at the Races – to be held on the Sierra Vista Campus April 29. The event will raise money for scholarships and, we hope, be the first of many annual events that engage the community in celebrating and expanding our efforts. If you’d like to be part of it, contact the foundation at (520) 417-4735.
Despite the challenges, I remain extremely proud of Cochise College, look forward to being able to “move the needle,” and will be eager to report progress on our student success plan to the community.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.