The Connection is Real
More education directly correlates with greater productivity.
As stated by Investopedia, “productivity rises as the number of educated workers increases since skilled workers can perform tasks more efficiently.” More education results in greater productivity and creativity, along with entrepreneurship and technological advances, which lead to increased output and economic growth.
Decades of research confirm that increased investment in education results in increased economic growth, as manifested by concurrent growth in salaries and workforce effectiveness.
An XQ report postulates that an increase in student achievement can add as much as $70 trillion to the GDP, while the Alliance for Excellent Education found that increasing high school graduation rates would result in dramatic increases in job growth, annual earnings and spending, along with a rise in GDP and tax revenue.
Stark County understands that this connection is real, supporting the impact of educational benefits through initiatives, partnerships, and investments. We know that when businesses put Stark County on their consideration list for relocation or expansion, one of the first things they research is the strength of our area’s workforce. They want to find out about the prevalence of skilled workers and whether young people have access to the education and training necessary for their industry.
A Great Start Leads to Great Futures
Learning can’t start too early.
Though it’s obvious to associate college or trade school educations with workforce readiness, educational benefits start much earlier. Stark County lives by the adage that early childhood education bolsters primary and secondary learning, and supports our commitment to socioeconomic growth for all Stark County residents.
As one example, Strengthening Stark educational endeavors focus on three key areas:
1. Increasing school readiness using the Stark Transition Skills Summary.
2. Improving early childcare center ratings to 3-, 4- or 5-star status as rated by the Step Up To Quality rating scale.
3. Increasing parent’s engagement in literacy programs.
Stark County is committed to early education as a prelude to a strong network of area high schools, colleges, universities, and professional schools, both to support the community and to provide a workforce that’s prepared to make our businesses stronger than ever.
Stark County concentrates on results-centered initiatives.
We also work with Stark Education Partnership, a catalyst that collaborates with education, business, civic, and community stakeholders — together with local foundations and other nonprofits throughout the region — to build generations of successful individuals who fulfill their career potential and grow roots in Stark County.
The organization engages in career-connected learning and to influence graduates to remain in Stark County. Its success stems from centering on career planning to middle and high school students, a philosophy of “the earlier, the better” so that the student’s path is something created rather than a mere happenstance.
Results show that this approach by Stark Education Partnership and its collaborators is on the right track. Especially strong categories include Kindergarten Readiness Assessment; Eighth Grade Math Success; and College Persistence of Stark Students by School Year Total Degree Attainment – AA, BA, MA, PhD (ages 25+), which has reached a high of 49.6% compared to the prior two years at 37.0% and 35.9%, respectively. Of particular interest to businesses already located here and those considering it, is the metric called Students Earning Industry Recognized Credentials, which has jumped to 23.6% from 18.7% and 16.2% in the two preceding years.
Quality Education Comes from More than Schools
Since education benefits all, we go all-in to improve our area’s education.
One thing that characterizes Stark County is our willingness to work together toward common goals. Perhaps it’s because we’re in that comfortable center — big enough to have the advantages of a city, yet small enough to still care about our neighbors. This manifests itself in our daily lives and touches upon our community’s approach to education and how it affects local business.
Our local Business Advisory Council is comprised of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Stark County Educational Service Center, for an arrangement in which businesses and education collaborate to foster a well-prepared workforce that contributes to our economic development. Twenty-one partnering school districts participate, making them “more aware of the local labor market; promote work-based experiences within businesses; and give guidance in helping students prepare for successful learning and employment opportunities.” The goal is that the efforts of Stark County educators align with the needs of our businesses.
Schools and workforce: 21,000 students attend six Stark County colleges and universities.
Business leaders see a return on investment when they get involved in education. They need schools to help prepare students for an ever more sophisticated work future — a future driven by technology that is advancing at an amazing rate. Schools, colleges, and universities need businesses to help direct educational programs for 21st century learners, workers, and team players. Schools, colleges, and universities in Stark County have shown a willingness to respond to the needs of business.
Businesses Benefit and so Does our Community
Stark County’s emphasis on career-directed education positively impacts our economy.
Education benefits all of us. Students who have a high level of education available to them and achieve their career credentials accrue better and more competitive skills, which result in higher paying jobs for increased spending power, and bring advanced innovation here to Stark County, where they live and work.
A National Bureau of Economic Research paper shows that an improvement in a K-12 education can have a dramatic effect in boosting the overall economy. Taking that forward, higher education benefits are the subject of a study entitled, How Colleges and Universities Can Help Their Local Economies by Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz. They show how post-secondary education raises the skills of an area’s workforce, also known as its human capital. Educating potential workers creates a larger supply of human capital in a given region, while also raising that region’s demand for human capital “by helping local businesses create jobs for skilled workers.” These areas enjoy stronger economic growth due to increased productivity and higher wages.
The National Center for Education Statistics adds that a greater educated and skilled workforce:
- better performs tasks and has the capacity to use productive technologies
- adapts more easily to new tasks or to changes in old tasks
- works more effectively in teams due to enhanced readiness for workplace communication and collaboration