Today’s global economy requires a highly skilled labor force that is prepared to compete on the world stage. Studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookings Institution and the Conference Board have all identified building ...]]> While other states are experiencing difficult budget decisions, only New Hampshire has completely de-funded student aid

Today’s global economy requires a highly skilled labor force that is prepared to compete on the world stage. Studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookings Institution and the Conference Board have all identified building and maintaining a highly skilled workforce as a national and local imperative. If we are truly concerned about our economic future, then ensuring access to higher education opportunities for all our citizens should be the No. 1 priority for state policymakers.

With the demographic changes rapidly taking place in New Hampshire, the future of our state’s economy is integrally tied to the future education of our residents. New Hampshire has long enjoyed the benefits of a highly educated populace, ranking third highest in residents holding associate degrees and ninth in those holding bachelor's degrees. However, when you look a little deeper, you quickly discover that the Granite State ranks near the bottom (46^th) in native population holding bachelor’s degrees. This indicates that many of our high school graduates who leave the state for postsecondary education never return. Additionally, the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire reports we are at a 50-year low in the in-migration of residents to our state. If this trend continues. New Hampshire may well lose its economic edge.

Postsecondary education can produce millions in lifetime earnings

In 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau produced an analysis of estimated earnings over the course of an individual’s working life. The analysis revealed two important factors across all demographic categories: “higher earnings are both the result of higher likelihoods of full-time employment and the higher levels of education required for that employment.” This study demonstrates “a clear and well-defined relationship between education and earnings and that this relationship perseveres, even after considering a collection of other personal and geographic characteristics.”

New Hampshire state data bear this out. According to an outlook report prepared by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies for the New England Economic Partnership, “persons with lower levels of educational attainment claim a larger share of the unemployed (relative to their representative size in the overall population). [Conversely] … the higher the level of education attainment, the lower the unemployment rate for that group.”

Thus, it’s no wonder New Hampshire’s unemployment rates are lower than the national average, with so many of our residents holding postsecondary degrees.

New Hampshire will face skills gap

According to studies by the widely respected Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 64% of jobs in New Hampshire will require some postsecondary education by 2018. Numerically, these 486,000 jobs will span management and professional, education, STEM and healthcare fields. The key question is will we have the educated residents to fill these positions?

I regularly hear from business leaders already concerned about the skills gap of the current workforce. In an August 2012 article from the Laconia Daily Sun, Gary Groleau, corporate manager of labor relations and corporate development at New Hampshire Ball Bearing Inc., was quoted concerning the lack of capacity to train people for new work. "Without the infrastructure to educate and train people for these jobs," Groleau said, "the competitive advantage of the region and its manufacturers erodes very quickly. And this problem is not going to solve itself."

Another concern is both our rapidly aging population and the declining enrollment numbers in our state’s K-12 schools. In 2025 it is projected that New Hampshire will have a skills gap of 50,841 degrees. To bridge the current and looming workforce gap, New Hampshire must work to achieve higher levels of resident degree completion.

Direct student financial aid matters

General fund support for higher education is a wise and necessary investment. State support toward higher education is critical to our state’s economic and cultural future. Unfortunately, many New Hampshire students are being disadvantaged by the unprecedented lack of direct state financial support for their education. The situation for students will likely worsen, as federal Pell Grant funding for FY2014 will face a $5.7 billion shortfall. Low student aid leads directly to high debt, with New Hampshire students now ranking first in the nation for student loan debt at over $32,000 on average.

Most experts agree that need-based grant aid is most effective in ensuring that students can access higher education. Given the importance of higher education to our economic security, it is useful to explore how New Hampshire’s support of students in their postsecondary education compares with other New England states.

In 2011, the Legislature eliminated all student aid from the New Hampshire state budget. While other states are experiencing difficult budget decisions, no other state has completely de-funded student aid.

I believe it imperative that New Hampshire restore General Fund grant aid to the state budget for our neediest students.

A Brookings Institution study, “Beyond Need and Merit: Strengthening State Grant Programs,” reminded legislators that state grant programs are one of the core policy levers available that have a demonstrated ability to “affect students” access to and success in college. These programs should be designed to use taxpayer dollars as effectively as possible to increase the educational opportunities and attainment level of state residents.

It’s time for New Hampshire to get back into the financial aid business. I urge business leaders and all citizens to encourage policymakers to re-dedicate state resources to higher education scholarships.

Lou D'Allesandro is a New Hampshire state senator and former chair of NEBHE.

Clarification: An earlier version of this piece contained a table that inappropriately juxtaposed data from state agencies and the National Association on State Student Grant & Aid Programs.

In 2011, the members of the New Hampshire IHE Network set aside the usual competitive inclinations in order to share best ...]]> The New Hampshire Department of Education joined a collaboration of 15 higher education institutions to prepare teachers and other educators, according to announcements by Commissioner of Education Virginia Barry and Higher Education Commissioner Richard A. Gustafson.

In 2011, the members of the New Hampshire IHE Network set aside the usual competitive inclinations in order to share best practices and data collection techniques and calibrate evaluation measures of student teachers and interns.

On Nov. 21, the state Education Department formally joined with the campuses to work with the Legislature and professional education groups on building a modern workforce of educators, leaders and scholars committed to excellence.

The initiative is one of the many that emerged from the P–16 Working Group established by former Gov. John Lynch in 2006.

Don Vickers said he also will retire as president and CEO ...]]> Among recent comings and goings, Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of Saint Anselm College, announced he will retire in June 2013, after leading the college since 1989. Bunker Hill Community College President Mary L. Fifield also announced she will retire in June, after 16 years.

Don Vickers said he also will retire as president and CEO of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) in June, after 41 years with the state student aid group.

Richard Pattenaude, chancellor of the University of Maine System from 2007 to 2012 and before that, president of the University of Southern Maine, was named president of Ashford University, an Iowa-based for-profit holding of Bridgepoint Education. Pattenaude recently wrote for NEJHE about the system's attempts to deal with financial stresses.

University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Edward MacKay will step down from ...]]> Yale University President Richard C. Levin announced he will step down at the end of the current academic year, after 20 years of service—a longer tenure than any other president in the Ivy League or the 61-member Association of American Universities.

University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Edward MacKay will step down from the post in March after 36 years with the system and three-plus as chancellor.

Sacred Heart University appointed John Chalykoff as the new dean of the John F. Welch College of Business. Chalykoff had served in various capacities at Boston University since 1999.

The University of Rhode Island appointed Naomi R. Thompson, an attorney and Northeastern University diversity administrator, to the position of associate vice president of Community, Equity and Diversity, effective Aug. 27. She will act as liaison for the president with commissions, the Bias Incident Response Team, and diversity committees throughout the university. Her office includes the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, Multicultural Center, Women’s Center and the LGBTQ Center.

The New England Conservatory appointed Kairyn Rainer, a pianist and manager with the Brown Rudnick law firm, to be conservatory's chief of staff, effective Aug. 27.

Wheelock College named Linda Davis to be dean of its Center for International Programs and Partnerships.

The six-state New England region's population grew by a sluggish 3.8% between 2000 and 2010—while the nation's as a whole grew by 9.7%, according to U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 population figures released in December.

Among other highlights:

• United Van Lines, the nation’s largest household goods mover, classified four of the six New England ...]]> Updated May 2012 ...

The six-state New England region's population grew by a sluggish 3.8% between 2000 and 2010—while the nation's as a whole grew by 9.7%, according to U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 population figures released in December.

Among other highlights:

• United Van Lines, the nation’s largest household goods mover, classified four of the six New England states as “high outbound” (55% or more moves going out of the state) in 2011. They were: Rhode Island (56.3%), New Hampshire (56.1%), Connecticut (55.8%) and Maine (55.8%).

• It's not your grandfather's New England. Exhibit A: The first Somali families moved to Lewiston, Maine, in late Jan. 2001. Ten years later, nearly 10 percent of the city's population is Somali.

• The Massachusetts population grew by only 3.1%—and the state was the only one in New England to lose a congressional district. Massachusetts had 16 districts in the early 20th century, but will sink to nine in the next Congress.

• As the U.S. population seeks warmth, Texas will gain four seats and Florida two. New York and Ohio will each lose two. Michigan will lose one.

• The historical shift in population from New England to the South and West has gradually brought with it political power, research dollars and college enrollment.

For other trend data, visit Newslink and Trends & Indicators: Continually Updated Stats on New England’s Education and Economy.

Figure DEM 1: Resident Population of New England and the United States: 2010 and 2000 Census

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Note: U.S. data do not include Puerto Rico.
Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 2: Resident Population of New England and the United States: 1970-2010 Census

Fig. DEM 3: Percentage Change in New England and United States Population by Decades

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Note: U.S. data do not include Puerto Rico.
Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 4: Percentage Change in Population by Decades

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Note: U.S. data do not include Puerto Rico.
Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 5: Change in Population, 2000 to 2010, New England States and Other Regions

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Note: Middle Atlantic includes New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. East North Central includes Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin. West North Central includes Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas. South Atlantic includes Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida. East South Central includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi. West South Central includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. Mountain includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada. Pacific includes Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii.

Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 6: Population of New England by Race, 2010

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Note: The above categories reflect the U.S. Census Bureau Guidance on the Presentation and Comparison of Race and Hispanic Origin.

Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 7: State Projections of Population Aged 60 and Over

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 8: Racial Composition of Northern and Southern New England, 2011

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Fig. DEM 9: Growth in the Number of Persons Obtaining Legal Permanent Resident Status in New England, 2000 to 2010

Click on the chart to enlarge.

Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of U.S. Department of Homeland Security data.

Back to Trends & Indicators>>

Walter attended William and Mary College and the University of New Hampshire before serving as a naval officer in the Pacific theater of World War II. After the war, he graduated from Dartmouth College. ...]]> New Hampshire governor and longtime NEBHE delegate and chair, Walter Peterson died at age 88 on Wednesday, June 1.

Walter attended William and Mary College and the University of New Hampshire before serving as a naval officer in the Pacific theater of World War II. After the war, he graduated from Dartmouth College. In 1948, with his father and brother, he founded The Petersons Inc. Real Estate in Peterborough, N.H.

He served four terms in the New Hampshire Legislature, one as majority leader and two as speaker. He was elected governor in 1968 and served two terms. He served as president of the New Hampshire Constitutional Convention in 1974.

He was president of Franklin Pierce College (now university) for 20 years and, in retirement, he served as interim president of UNH and interim commissioner of the New Hampshire Community Technical Colleges. He also chaired the New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission, the New Hampshire College and University Council, the New Hampshire Charitable Fund and NEBHE and was a director of the New England Education Loan Marketing Corporation.

NEBHE President Michael K. Thomas told NEBHE friends: "It would be difficult to overstate the value and impact of Walter's leadership and his support for NEBHE over many years.  Moreover, his leadership in government, business and education have had a long and lasting impact in New Hampshire, New England and beyond."

Thomas visited Walter and his wife Dorothy a few weeks ago at their home in Peterborough. "Despite his disease and treatment, both he and Dorothy were upbeat and positive, talking of happenings in the community and church and New Hampshire politics. He talked fondly of his time as president of Franklin Pierce and his pleasure with how the institution continued to move forward. He reflected upon his philosophy of leadership, which was to endeavor to get people of different views and interests to 'work it out' and to 'get things done.' Dorothy showed me a wall filled with photos of big game hunts as a young man with his father, his time as a legislator and governor and as a college president.  She laughed at how some people joked that his official portrait as president of Franklin Pierce, with Walter attired in  academic robes, made him look like a Pope. The photos encapsulated a life of service, leadership and a pragmatic optimism."

Thomas's predecessor, former NEBHE President Jack Hoy, called Peterson "unflappable throughout his career with a great sense of humor and a very kind man." Hoy lauded Peterson for his retirement accomplishments of chairing and serving as acting president of UNH and creating "the amalgamation of tech colleges into a full-scale community college system." Hoy quipped that "every bloody Republican presidential candidate in the county would come down in abeyance to Walter's door."

I remember Walter as utterly unpretentious. When he stepped in to be interim president at UNH, I mentioned to him that my brother's paintings were being shown in the UNH gallery. His face lit up. "I go there once in a while. I like art," he said innocently. A bear of a man and avid sports fan who played semi-pro basketball himself, he took pride in his pioneering work to recruit international students to Franklin Pierce for basketball and academics.

Not surprisingly, NEBHE named its highest award the Governor Walter R. Peterson Award for Leadership. Recipients have fittingly included great New England leaders George Mitchell, Jeanne Shaheen, Patrick Leahy and the late Ted Kennedy.

The current snapshot of New England’s economy relative to other areas is favorable. The region suffered less decline during the recent recession than the national average, and the region’s recovery has ...]]> There is an exciting new opportunity for universities and colleges to advance the New England economy and at the same time help address environmental concerns.

The current snapshot of New England’s economy relative to other areas is favorable. The region suffered less decline during the recent recession than the national average, and the region’s recovery has been stronger than the national average. Neither of these were true for the previous three recessions. The problem is that having a relatively strong economy in these economic times is not very good. Unemployment rates in the region are still significantly higher than they were before the recession, and with the current rate of job growth, it would take over three years to recover the jobs lost in the Great Recession in the region.

After the recessions of the early 1980s and early 1990s, the region benefited from significant growth in growing technology industries. In the growth periods after the last two recessions, New England was one of the leading regions in the nation in the fast-growing, technology-based industries of those times. Coming out of this recession, the region has an opportunity to lead in a new technology-based industry: the so-called “clean tech” industry.

The term clean tech describes a group of emerging technologies that provide energy with minimum climate and environmental impact and use resources efficiently. Examples include wind power and solar energy and other new technologies in renewable energy generation and energy, materials and resource conservation.

In New England, the clean-tech economy is already evident and can be expanded. All the states in the region are relatively well-positioned in clean-tech industry development. The industry, however, is still very small compared with other sectors of the economy in New England, and it does not appear to be growing currently at a rate that would make it a very significant sector in terms of percentage of total employment anytime soon (e.g., over the next decade).

Five of the six New England states are among the top one-third of states in employment concentration in clean-tech using the frequently cited Pew Charitable Trust definition of clean tech. Maine leads the region and is second in the nation, behind only Oregon, in clean-tech employment concentration with 0.85% of total employment in clean tech. Massachusetts follows close behind, ranking third among the 50 states with 0.69% of total employment in clean tech, followed by Vermont with the 5th highest concentration (0.59%) in clean-tech employment in the nation. New Hampshire (12th) and Connecticut (16th) are also among the top third of states in clean-tech employment concentration. Rhode Island is the only state in the region with clean- tech employment concentration (0.42%) below the U.S. average overall of 0.49%. The regional average at 0.61% is 20% higher than the national average.

There are many initiatives across the region to try to build on the research oriented clean- technology base in the region to create jobs and enhance employment growth. This article reviews and updates information from a June 2010 New England Journal of Higher Education article on one novel effort, the Green Launching Pad (GLP) in New Hampshire, that has produced significant results in a short period of time and offers a model for other states to consider. It is university-created and based and suggestive of the role that colleges and universities can play in the next industrial revolution in the region.

To help further stimulate activity in clean-tech industries, in February 2010, University of New Hampshire (UNH) President Mark Huddleston and New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch announced the start-up of the GLP project. Green Launching Pad is a strategic partnership UNH and the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The GLP is a business acceleration program to commercialize clean technology. Ventures funded under the program are subject to a double-bottom line criteria. They are required to produce economic and environmental benefits. Faculty and students from UNH and Dartmouth and professionals from New Hampshire’s leading businesses including law firms, major utilities, manufacturing, and investment firms have been involved with the GLP.

Since its inauguration in February 2010, the GLP has selected 11 ventures to participate in the program from over 120 proposals. Selection is on a competitive basis and done by an advisory council of judges from industry and the nonprofit sector. The selection criteria include: 1) the potential for ventures to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy use and lower carbon emissions; 2) their potential to contribute to economic development—job creation and growth opportunities; 3) technology capability; 4) market feasibility; and 5) experience and capabilities of the leadership team. Winning teams consist of entrepreneurs, faculty, and students. Winners receive funding up to $100,000 each and receive accelerated business development assistance, including mentorship and coaching from experts in scientific, technical, business and legal areas.

In the first round of funding in 2010 (GLP 1.0), five winners were selected. They included a mix of companies applying a range of different clean technologies. All are based in the New Hampshire. Green Clean Heat in Newton Junction designs and builds fully-integrated “turnkey” efficient wood-fired heating systems for commercial and municipal facilities. EnerTrac in Hudson has developed low-cost smart metering technology and a corresponding monitoring service for propane gas and other uses that can reduce CO2 emissions by 30% or more. Revolution Energy in Dover develops renewable energy projects using third-party financing and creative incentive leveraging. Innovacene in Durham manufactures high-performing organic semiconductors for flexible organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes for lighting and displays. Air Power Analytics in Bedford improves energy efficiency of industrial compressed air systems, reducing electric consumption, and saving money while reducing upstream greenhouse-gas emissions.

The five first-round GLP companies have increased employment and developed business and marketing plans. Four of the five companies have begun to sell new products or services. All the companies have used student interns from UNH and Dartmouth. And all the companies are well-positioned for future growth and will be adding employees this year.

In April 2011, the second round (2.0) GLP funding competition was completed. Overall, the applicant pool was stronger than in the first round. There were six winning teams selected, again all New Hampshire-based, and again representing a diverse mix of clean tech.

SustainX in Lebanon provides a new non-toxic technology for low-cost scalable energy storage. The company’s new technology enables efficient storage of renewables (e.g., wind and solar) and can potentially be a game-changer in the economics of renewables. The energy storage technology is modular and allows for siting anywhere, from low-scale to grid-scale storage. Blue2green in Ashland will promote hydroelectric power production by restoring dams to produce renewable energy and attracting investors to suitable dams and mill-restoration projects. The revitalization of hydroelectric power in small- to medium-sized former industrial mill towns can help produce renewable energy, create jobs and preserve community history.

Holase in Portsmouth has developed self-contained, solar-powered LED traffic signal lights that are low-cost and easy to set up and operate. New England Footwear in New Market has developed a sustainable solution to footwear manufacturing and a way to revive shoe manufacturing in the region through new technologies that use organic materials, molds (instead of stitch and sew) and modular design to allow for easy replacement and re-use. ThermaPAVER of Exeter invented an invisible low-cost solar collector and heat exchanger with a diversity of potential applications. Applications include winter time melting of snow and ice off of roofs and summer time cooling pool side pavements and heating pools. Walker Wellington of Portsmouth has developed a hydrokinetic turbine power generation system which will capture and produce off-grid renewable energy for on-site use. Primary users will be municipal waste water treatment facilities and drinking water delivery systems.

The 11 wining GLP teams have generated a lot of excitement across the UNH campus and in the state of New Hampshire. The GLP has been mentioned in the last two state of the state addresses by Gov. Lynch and also highlighted in UNH’s new strategic plan. What is striking is that the excitement and potential for green entrepreneurship (and ventures launched with the GLP) remains high even with all the energy and environmental policy uncertainty in Washington and with the NH state legislature.

Looking forward with the Green Launching Pad and with similar types of efforts that might be undertaken elsewhere in New England what are the lessons from the GLP? First and foremost is that entrepreneurs are well along on the next industrial revolution and that the public sector in general is lagging behind. Many of these entrepreneurs are interested in profit making and also environmental impact (they are both a priority). This provides a significant opportunity for colleges and universities to work with private industry to be in the lead on clean-tech industry development and environmental entrepreneurship.

It is clear that with broadening concern about sustainability comes market opportunities and there are large numbers of entrepreneurs across the region and some with very good ideas for clean-technology business creation. A competitive grant program can help to identify and focus efforts on the highest quality ideas with the greatest market potential and positive environmental impact. What many clean-tech entrepreneurs, particularly those that are academic-based, lack are business know-how and connections, such as connections to legal and marketing advise to help them to identify and then to tap into market opportunities.

Finally, marketing and market development are very important for launching successful clean-tech ventures. Marketing is essential in creating new markets and customers. New clean-tech ventures require assistance in identifying target customers and figuring out how to convince them to buy products or services that they did not know they needed. Marketing assistance is an area in which business students and faculty can help tremendously and benefit from. Clean-tech ventures provide a near perfect opportunity for business students to apply what they learn and in turn learn through their experience working with nascent ventures about clean-technology business enterprise. They can learn about entrepreneurship and how clean technology can be applied by business ventures for profit making and to achieve desired social ends.

A focus on the commercialization of clean technology and ideas and social entrepreneurship, not just on breakthrough research or the invention of new technologies, is a role that many colleges and universities can engage in. It is not limited to the region’s top-tier research institutions. Engaging in clean-tech industry development, with initiatives such as UNH’s Green Launching Pad, can provide an exciting opportunity for students, faculty and others on college campuses across the region to work with private industry to help strengthen the region’s economy and help to address environmental concerns and to learn a lot while doing it.

You can visit the Green Launching Pad at www.GreenLaunchingPad.org
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Ross Gittell is the James R. Carter Professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics and A.R Venkatachalam is a professor in UNH's Decision Sciences Department, They are the co-directors of the Green Launching Pad.