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StumbleLow education levels holding Nevada’s economy back, official says
Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Students, alumni and staff march through the UNLV campus during a rally in support of funding for education on March 5, 2010. Officials today at UNLV were told that lower education levels in Las Vegas will make an economic recovery more difficult.
Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | 11:01 a.m.
Robert Lang, co-director of Brookings Mountain West, says Las Vegas is unique in that it went from a quarter million in population to 2 million people in a span of 40 years.
Sun Coverage
Nevada’s higher education levels are holding the region back from diversifying its economy and the city has become a modern-day version of Pittsburgh or Detroit, which once relied on one sector for its growth to its detriment, the director of a UNLV-based think tank said today.
Robert Lang, the director of Brookings Mountain West, outlined the problems Nevada faces as he kicked off a day-long conference at UNLV on how to diversify the economy.
Lang said the state has touted itself for its favorable business climate but said that’s meaningless without having a skilled and educated workforce that makes companies want to come here. The region’s economic downturn and dysfunctional appearance resulting from that are turning off companies looking to relocate to Nevada, he said.
“We don’t want to be a case study for what went wrong with the country,” Lang said.
The conference features the state’s political and business leaders along with experts on diversification in other states.
Lang said Las Vegas has hard-working people but he spoke in harsh terms about the region not having a high enough percentage of people who have bachelor’s degrees.
Lang compared Las Vegas to Midwestern and Northeastern cites with manufacturing plants and steel mills where the middle class had high-paying jobs, only to see those plants disappear. The jobs the gaming industry will produce in the future are for exporting the industry around the globe and that’s going to require higher education levels, he said.
“If we don’t address this, Mississippi is going to start to compare us to the rest of the country,” Lang said. “This is the direction we are heading, but we don’t have to go there.”
Gaming and tourism will continue to be a main driver of the economy, he said.
“There is no escaping it that we are at risk because we have lived off one industry. We can’t use that engine of growth to expand the state’s economy or fix the budget shortfall before us,” Lang said.
Lang said tourism offers connections to the world that help the Las Vegas economy link with others. Few cities have airports that allow them to access places around the globe, he said.
“We have the capacity to be a world city,” Lang said. “What is holding us back at this moment is the human capital. That is a reality of the new economy emerging in the 21st century.”
Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki says his coalition to bring new business and industry to Nevada will be a global effort.
Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said that while it’s up to the private sector to create jobs, government has a role to help facilitate diversification. He said it’s a non-partisan issue that will be dealt with in the current legislative session.
“One of the silver linings of these difficult times is people are working together in a special way,” Krolicki said. “This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a Nevada issue.”
A state task force studying diversification is focusing on clusters that can be created to lessen the state’s reliance on gaming and mining industries, he said.
Those clusters include technology; defense-sector expansion; film, television and digital productions; business-to-business marketing; international business development; medical tourism; and renewable energy.
Krolicki said a focus on renewable energy means serving as a research and manufacturing center for solar, geothermal and other renewable energy industries.
Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said the state can’t grow the economy without improving its education levels and said more must be spent on education in the state's budget.
Discussion: 12 comments so far…
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It boils down to this! Las Vegas has too many idiots..Worse than Mississippi on the education curve. I can see being low "Come on! Worse than Mississippi." Tell me someone made a mistake on all these charts I have been looking at..Please!
With the new Governor pay attention to this article?
Lowest at everything, including education and funding. What do you do charge more....
Gibbons come back.....
Duh! Seems pretty obvious to me but then again, I'm a transplant with a degree. When I moved here, I had to dumb down my resume just to get an interview. That's seems to be the attitude here - someone with an education is threatening.
The $64,000 question, however, is whether we're going to take action or just continue to hear the typical political and business platitudes with no progress. They may talk a good game but you have to walk the talk. Business has to get on board but with the prevailing anti-education sentiment (educated workers can think for themselves and see through the bs) and hands-off attitude toward increasing taxes on gaming and mining so they pay their fair share (compare us to other states, folks), I'm not so sure we're going to get past this. Governor Sandoval should take heed and re-evaluate his education proposals. Everything hinges on improving the state's education levels.
Just get a bigger gavel. That should do it.
The days of making a living as a cocktail waitress or parking cars is coming to an end. So you dropped out of school to make the easy money, now you're in your 30's, getting a little hefty with a couple of rug rats. Daddy with the nice head of hair is no longer in demand as a valet.
What to do? Too late to go to those private schools that get you in absolute poverty with government loans that lead to no jobs. The answer?
Move. Get out, head to where the jobs are, like Texas. DC. Midwest. Save up a few bucks, get the UHaul, and start over. The easy times are gone forever. Take your big head of graying hair with you-you're gonna' need it.
I earned a masters degree from Ohio State and my bachelors from UNLV. I would love to return and establish myself in Nevada, but the economic conditions have eliminated university positions and the conversations about reducing benefits further encourage me to stay put in California. I am lucky to be employed for a private research university with amazing benefits. But, the thought of returning to Vegas would be GREAT! Come on Nevada, invest some more money into education and the returns will be countless. We need more smart educated people in Nevada, maybe the quality of life would increase.
Mandating funding upon the public for educational services which benefits only a segment of society is wrong -- there is nothing stopping the private business sectors from funding the educational services they specifically require.
Nevada would be better off leasing the space of its UNLVs to the private business sectors interested in funding the educational services they specifically require to employ Nevadans - turning these public liabilities into public assets.
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The problem is that the uneducated masses of Nevada still have a vote.
I was able to hire two engineers last quarter to 6-figure salary positions. I was unable to find a single qualified candidate locally. I ended up hiring two people in San Jose. I don't prefer remote employees, but Vegas leaves me no choice.
The Education systems does not need any more money thrown at it. What it needs is to get the unions and their gold plated benefits under control.
Education is what you make of It, and no amount of education will teach someone who refuses to do anything to do something. In the meantime, maybe those Nevadans who felt the need to leave to get an education can come back and make a difference instead of making excuses.
Once again the Sun quotes someone who has the same agenda as they do namely race through LV tossing bundles of cash in the byways and people will suddenly become mensas.
It seems quite a reach to believe that by graduating large numbers of PHDs we will be able to have large numbers of high paying firms with high paying positions waiting for said brainpower.
The Sun and their chorus of groupies refuse to acknowledge the population demogragaphics that make up the available students in our school system toss in the poor location for businesss and industry due to infrastructure[LV is in the middle of nowhere for one]and we haven't even found a starting point.
LV was built and boomed on the backs of the construction industry and tourism and now you want to abandon these two groups and tax them out or existance to rebuild the town as a location for high tech.
Well guess what ... America already has numerous towns that provide this type of activity but there is only one mecca for gamblers.
Is it the chicken or the egg? If you have industry you will bring in higher educated people. There are lots of industries that do not need people with college education (manufacturing etc). How many Nevada educated students leave the state? How much money should we spend as a state to educate our populace, or is the money better spent sending the students to california schools with a reciprocity agreement to educate our students in the future. Who has looked at the cost/benefit ratio?
Everything was fine 30 years ago, when the two degrees mostly given by UNLV were hotel management and education. 30 years later, they are still the two most prominent degrees given that attract local hiring.
Our major employers (members of the Nevada Resort Association) have no desire to see its workforce affected by employees getting a college degree and finding other jobs, nor do they want the children of their employees to get college degrees either and jeopardize the availability of future workers.
Government must get other industries to come here with the promise that we provide them workers educated in the types of degrees those industries need. Guess how it will be paid for. Increased gaming taxes.
I hold up Harley and Chuckles as prime examples of why we are in this situation. Not a brain between the two of them. They are intimidated by educated people and would rather see everyone lead the miserable life they have been shackled with rather than try to improve their lot in life.
For numerous bad choices, they feel they have been handed a crap sandwich and they are bitter, mean, spiteful people for it. If we're going to get out of this hole, we need to leave people like this behind and let them survive on the scraps of society.
The Harleys and Chuckles of this state need to step aside. We are tired of people like you and will no longer listen to your tired rheterick. You represent the failed ideology that has delivered us to this cliff.
Be gone with you, I say!
me fail english, that's unpossible!
Wow Harley. You are clueless. What business would want to move here if we are the only state in the industrialized world that requires businesses to completely educate their entire workforce? Have you thought your position through?
And yes spending does affect education quality. Less spending means bigger classes, and anyone who thinks class size is irrelevant has never taken education seriously enough to deserve an opinion.
If we gave our kids a chance and they turned a bit more self-motivated to make their lives have an impact on our goofed up world, then we would have done them right.
But when we throw in the towel before they're even out of the blocks, can you imagine what it'll be like when we meet up in the afterlife.
Yo, weren't you my dad?
Yeah, What of it?
You sure hogged all the goodies and gave us the bill, the crap and the snowball's chance. How come? What did we do to deserve the worst shot imaginable? I could a been a contenda.
I can't condone the bloated research-oriented UNLV, or the equally huge, real-college-wannabe [Community] College of Southern Nevada, but little, rapidly-growing, belt-tightened Nevada State College is just the kind of institution that should be promoted.
Well, the only apparent solution has been offered by our new Gov. Sandoval, hereafter referred to as "BS."
We raise tuition fees. (Whoops, I meant to say tuition rates, since BS said he would not raise taxes or fees. BS!)
The super-wealthy of the state and the mining companies are really hurting right now, so I agree with BS -- the students can carry a little more of the burden. It's only fair. They can take it out of their beer budget.
So I support Gov. BS, because we are only getting more BS as we go along here.
An uneducated workforce is easily controlled. Corporate America and the rich elite do not want the uneducated to understand how they are being fleeced at every turn, all the while enriching themselves.
What I find completely inappropriate about this entire treatment of education is as a disposable commodity. It's not. It's these little people.
In fact the lives of so many are at stake, and every single one of you reading this knows it. If it weren't for your momma and daddy, your teachers and your talents, you wouldn't get it, but you do.
You get this communication thing. You feel the two-way street, and you know how things get done - somebody does 'em.
These kids have futures. Inexorable. These kids are going to be suffering and not blooming or discovering their powers because we shorted them. We let 'em go bad. Intentionally neglected them.
In the long run, when we put our wallets before our kids and say 'The economy sucks because our kids are getting screwed', then nobody is going to want to come here and set up any business
If however, we said our kids are getting screwed because the economy sucks, then businesses WOULD definitely WANT to come here. Why?
Simple. Our priorities are right. It ain't the economy we're feeding, clothing and nurturing. It's these belly-buttons and moaning spitting images of their mom and me, and they're all we got.
They're in this race too now and, if we can't do 'em righteously, then this world is bound and determined to EAT em up. As we said back in the day, proper prior planning prevents piss-poor performance. All they need is a fair shot. And if we fail them, it's prison or early demise.
Talk about cart before horse; 'open a school, close a prison!' Look at Nevada's lousy schools and go on ahead and correlate afew costs if you like calculators. They ain't items, though. They're wasted lives and broken hearts in everybody's family.
I served for several years on the adjunct faculty for both UNLV and CCSN. Sometimes I'd look out over my UNLV classes and think "2/3 of you shouldn't even be here, you need to re-take high school."
They pretty much all hated to read, hated math, and hated homework (at the time UNLV was remanding about 60% of incoming freshmen to remedial English). But all expected at least a "B" just for showing up. I gotten taken to my Sups more than once over "C-" grades (that probably should have been "F's."
I even once had a student to whom I gave an "I" (incomplete) for not doing the required semester paper. She asked that I change it to "F" -- because the Air Force (she was active duty at Nellis) would pay for the "F" but not an incomplete.
It was pretty sad.
I spent a few years in GED programs, working with the drop-outs who had come back to school. Some had discovered gratitude, a rare commodity in most US high schools I've worked in.
And then I discovered a phenomenon unseen in high schools or universities, though I know it occurs. These GED kids who happened to have some guts became masterful at figuring how to help themselves to the trough, to discover and attempt and refine and address life on their own terms. Those kids caught FIRE. And others noticed. And you see how things are.
Some have faith in inquiry, discovery and self-reliance they learned on their own. Failure can be a good thing.
It only takes reflection, self-respect and options for directions, for the Goldilocks challenge, and for a chance to discover what they're made of.
I agree with Doogie. If you don't have a professional certificate or a college degree, and you have no interest in obtaining one, just leave the state. If you have only a high school diploma you typically barely make enough money to pay taxes, you are twice as likely to receive unemployment benefits, ten times as likely to receive medicaid, and you are, on average, a bigger drain on the country's resources than illegal immigrants.
So please leave, and take your vote with you.
A big part of the problem is Social Prmotion. If students can't do the grade-level work, they need to repeat the grade. Promoting them only brings down the performance level of the entire class and they themselves will never truly catch up.
Wake up folks, if you don't like UNLV or UNR, you are welcome to go to another state for college And, GASP, you are also allowed to move back to Nevada after you graduate. You are also welcome to stay here and go to college. The sky really is not falling.
"Nevada's higher education levels are holding the region back from diversifying its economy and the city has become a modern-day version of Pittsburgh or Detroit, which once relied on one sector for its growth to its detriment, the director of a UNLV-based think tank said today."
Exactly what educational opportunities are missing in Nevada? There are opportunities. There are literally over one hundred degree programs at UNLV. Is high tuition really an issue in this state?
We can't force people to go to college.
Raising fees on students, which the hypocritical Sandogibbons swore he would not do, only encourages more young nevadans to leave for other states. He is sacrificing our state's future because he does not want to upset his buddies with Jones Cargas in the big business community.
Where are the Republican Tea Baggers who swore they would protest him if he raised fees or taxes?
I disagree with many of the comments here. As a CPA and Big Ten (Illinois) graduate I can tell you that in my experience UNLV graduates are just as smart as any. Passing rates on the CPA exam are good for UNLV graduates. I think that many of these writers are teachers and administrative personnel looking to justify higher salaries for themselves.
#1, the Hispanic population, as a whole, is not big on education, and that really drags down the facks & figgurs relating to graduation rates, test scores, etc...
#2, There has to be a WILL to educate the populous.
It starts in the Smart States with EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, and continues through high school with an EXPECTATION that you WILL be going to college, and the understanding that there is TREMENDOUS VALUE in not just going, but succeeding, and getting, at minimum, a Bachelor's Degree.
#3, You have to have PARENTS PARENTING. Airweare commented about it earlier... without that FOUNDATION, your kids WILL LIKELY FAIL.
#3, As a state, you have to develop a MARKET for a college educated workforce, by enticing Big Business to relocate here.
Understand, they AREN'T COMIN' until we wise up!!!
We don't need to put an extra burden on our youth that are TRYING to get an education BY RAISING THEIR TUITION!
Governor B.S., you DO UNDERSTAND that that's antithetical to our PROBLEM, do you not???
The problem isn't money higher ed, it's K-12. Many students are not prepared when they leave high school and then we are surprised that it takes 6 years for them to get a 4 year college degree. If a student has a proper high school education and graduates in 4 years instead of 6, that's 2 years of tuition savings! IMHO, put the spending into K-12 for a better investment.
http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/se...
this is the problem!
I remember a few years back when Samsung was wanting to build a semiconductor plant in either Austin or Portland. They ended up choosing Austin (actually right outside of it). If my memory serves me right, part of the pull towards Austin was developing a fast-track program with the local community college which would offer a tech degree/certificate whereby a student completing it could get hired on at Samsung. This would ensure that they would have a viable hiring pool at all times. Now granted that industry has seen many layoffs as so many other companies in hi-tech, perhaps we need to start thinking more along these lines to get some companies to come here. Yeah, we do have the voc/tech schools, but I mean an all out push to get more companies here. Maybe tie such programs to UNLV and start the process in the last two years of high school. Perhaps if the student does well in the last two years of high school in such a specialized program, providing some kind of discounted tuition for completing the program at UNLV. Perhaps companies might be interested in helping to develop the curriculum of these programs, which could ultimately cut down costs of their new-hire training by acquiring its graduates. They would ultimately be getting someone with a University degree as well as job specific skills.
I believe in Germany, someone correct me if I am wrong, half-way through your schooling, kids who excel prepare for gymnasium (college) and those who do not are required to learn a vocation. Either way, the goal is to get you to become a productive member of society rather than a dead beat that becomes a burden on it. Further, the German government has passed laws requiring industry to take on vocational apprentices such that they may learn specific skills that would ultimately help them obtain good jobs. In the past, the vocational track student was viewed as one who may have been "less-than" but in today's modern technological market, these jobs are well respected and earn the individual a salary that they otherwise may not have had access to.
Now I am about as American as you can get, but we are going to have to start thinking differently in this country if we want to continue to compete internationally. We are going to have to start making quality products again, instead of buying the rest of the worlds junk with over extended credit. Kids are going to have to put down their cell phones, playstations and ipods and get in the race or they will surely get left behind.
Educating our kids is a given. No two ways about it. But maybe we need to really start requiring it, and maybe even a little further out than just sliding through high school. Or perhaps we need to start a little earlier on teaching some meaningful skills to those who don't take traditional schooling seriously. I don't know, just a few thoughts how to turn things around. But one thing is for sure, the way things are going right now ain't cuttin' the cheese.
NVFisherman got it correct! Thank you!
Is this article an ad for Sallie Mae? Teachers should tell students DON'T borrow money to go to college. You CANNOT default on student loan debt. Did you see the documentary "The Price of Admission" on CNBC? That engineer who said that he hired two employees to $100K positions--actually he's saying that there AREN'T enough jobs for every college grad and he will only hire applicants with 10 years of experience. If you're a recent college grad with colossal student loan debt, then he'll tell you to get lost. Now even nursing grads and teachers are finding a very tough job market. College is a rip-off and an evil plot to get you into massive debt.
I guess I am one of the over-educated Nevadans with an MS. One of the functions of government is to provide for the well-being. Increased educational opportunities provides for the well-being. The examples of Pittsburgh and Detroit were apt. We are a one industry valley with small industries supporting the gambling, tourism and convention driver of our economy. Blurbs about those students who are lazy in education are not necessary. Increasing tuition fees and driving those wishing a better opportunity forces them out of state for an education (establish residence in another state and get cheap in-state tuition) - most to never return. Why is Microsoft in Washington? Why is there a Silicon Valley in California? The businesses went where a highly educated workforce was available. As I am dragging my feet closer and closer to retirement I want a highly educated and highly paid workforce supporting my retirement.
I happen to agree with this article. The gaming industry has provided jobs for many Nevadans but it doesn't require a great amount of education. The education system contributes too much time to problem and drop outs versus concentrating on educating those who want an education and a better life than working in gaming. I really like what Zappos CEO is doing, by getting high tech industry involved in Las Vegas could mean better job in the future. I would concentrate my efforts in San Jose area and getting those companies to move to Las VEgas. The business climate for big corporations in California will only get worst with the new government taking office. Nevada needs to make it even more attractive to do business here in Las Vegas.
This Article,although very true is also misleading
There are plenty of educated folk here,EXCEPT business owners want to exploit everyones talent by offering them low pay,and no benefits
Im not speaking for everyone,because the valley does have its share of complete morons,BUT again,there is skilled talent in town stuck deciding whether to take it up the tailpipe,or continue waiting for the economy to rebound
Making 80-120,000 for many years,and then reentering workforce only to find them offering less than half of that wage has kept alot of skilled/educated workers underground
I guess because of pride,I dont know
Ill offer you a skilled position at less than half of what youre worth,and then only hire you for 32-36 hours so we dont have to include benefits
WOW,sounds just like a place I want to work for NOT!
peace out
Yes, NVFisherman, you're right. We had a fabulous economy a few years ago and it had nothing to do with education. Bringing more diversity to our economy is a complex issue, but if the tax climate and workforce are favorable, the businesses will come. This is certainly not my area of expertise, but Zappos would be a good example of the type of business that will diversify our economy, I believe. I have a Master's degree, but I never would have moved here 15 years ago if my husband didn't work in gaming.
All the classes I've taken in CSN have been completely full. I've seen a lot of hard-working people around my age in my classes, although I've seen a few bad examples as well. I think companies from all over the state will love having someone from Las Vegas because simply surviving out here from all the temptations and dangers found in our city makes the person a strong individual. It's hard to blame the corruption of large enterprises upon the residents of Las Vegas. Obviously they've been messing up themselves, and we don't want anymore corrupted organizations out here who exploit the neighborhood.