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New research briefs offer concise picture of the STEM challenge

December 7th, 2011
By Jeanne Contardo, Director of Programs & Policy Analysis, BHEF
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The need is urgent for clear and transparent information about the workforce challenges threatening this nation’s economy. To address this misinformation, the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) has launched the new BHEF STEM Research and Policy Brief Series, which focuses on important dimensions of the education and workforce misalignment challenge facing the United States, with particular attention given to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. ...More

STEM Means Jobs

November 28th, 2011
By Jamai Blivin, Chief Executive Officer, Innovate+Educate
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Innovate+Educate believes that corporations across the U.S. must be involved in STEM education and must play a key role in advancing STEM education and workforce. ...More

Protecting America’s Future through the Federal Pell Grant Program

September 21st, 2011
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, BHEF
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Increasing American competitiveness will require saving the Pell Grant program. A series of recession-driven forces have converged on lower-and middle-class American families, reducing families’ ability to pay for college at just the time we need more Americans earning college degrees. ...More

Research Universities: Working to Improve Undergraduate STEM Education

September 20th, 2011
By Hunter R. Rawlings III, President, Association of American Universities (AAU)
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Two out of five entering college freshmen who plan to major in STEM fields switch to non-STEM majors by the time they graduate; in addition, completion rates for STEM majors are lower than for non-STEM majors. Given this gap in the STEM pipeline, and the serious impact it has on our nation, the Association of American Universities last week launched a five-year initiative to improve the quality of undergraduate teaching and learning in STEM fields at our member institutions. ...More

Eating our Seed Corn

July 25th, 2011
By Kati Haycock, President, The Education Trust
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If our economy is going to thrive over the long term, we need to tend to the harvest. Protecting Pell Grant funding is one of the surest steps Congress and the White House can take to increase our yield. ...More

Preparing America’s Future Workforce

July 19th, 2011
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, BHEF
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More than ever, the nation needs college-educated graduates to fill our high-demand jobs, yet projections show we are facing shortages in many high-demand fields. These shortages are particularly acute in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. If the nation continues on this trajectory, there will not be enough workers to fill the projected 17 percent increase in STEM jobs over the next decade. ...More

A Primer for Addressing Workforce Needs

March 21st, 2011
By Dan O’Connell, President and CEO, Massachusetts Competitiveness Partnership
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I had the honor of attending the Business-Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF) recent semi-annual meeting at the invitation of BHEF Chair and Raytheon Company Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. It was a fascinating gathering of CEOs, prominent college and university presidents, and other leaders, who emphasized that the demands of the global economy have fundamentally transformed corporations and increased the competitive challenges facing U.S. businesses, the economy, and the workforce. ...More

Keys to Strengthening the Economy

January 26th, 2011
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Executive Director, BHEF
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Yesterday evening, President Obama issued the annual State of the Union address, which focused heavily on America remaining competitive and creating jobs—themes that align with BHEF’s two main initiatives: the Securing America’s Leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative; and the College Readiness, Access, and Success Initiative. ...More

Connecting Undergraduates to STEM Careers

January 5th, 2011
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Executive Director, BHEF
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Today, I had the honor of presenting to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) the actions I, and the Business-Higher Education Forum’s members, believe President Obama should take regarding undergraduate STEM education. ...More

Waiting for Sputnik

December 17th, 2010
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Executive Director, BHEF
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Last week, the Lumina Foundation convened a wide array of education policy leaders and practitioners to explore the challenges of meeting the foundation’s “Big Goal” of increasing the proportion of Americans holding high-quality certificates and degrees to 60% in 15 years. In the opening session of the meeting, several participants stated that “we need a Sputnik moment” —some catalyst to provoke change. ...More

Equipping Business and Higher Education Leaders to Catalyze Education Improvement

December 1st, 2010
By Brian K. Fitzgerald, Executive Director, BHEF
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Fundamental misalignments across P-12 education, higher education, and the workforce threaten our ability to meet this country’s 21st century education and workforce needs, especially in the highest-demand careers. To address this challenge, I believe that local business and higher education leaders ...More

Cities for Success: A BHEF Leadership Summit

November 1st, 2010
By Jeanne Contardo, Director of Programs, BHEF
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Last week high-level delegations from Des Moines, Iowa, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, including the cities’ mayors; superintendents; business, higher education, and philanthropy leaders; as well as dozens of other national leaders engaged in education improvement, attended Cities for Success: A BHEF Leadership Summit in Louisville, Kentucky. ...More

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