About Northeast Ohio

• Population: 4.1 million in 16 counties

• 27 colleges and universities, 2 and 4 year

• 210,000 enrolled college students

• Low adult postsecondary participation rate (3.9%)

• 28.9% college attainment rate for adults 18 and older

The Talent Dividend is a nationwide initiative to increase college attainment for economic prosperity.

Increasing the region’s attainment rate from 28.9% to 29.9% will yield an additional $2.8 billion in annual per capita income.

Northeast Ohio needs an additional 31,000 degree holders to achieve the Talent Dividend.

NOCHE set a planning agenda and formed a Northeast Ohio Steering Committee, which released an ambitious Action Plan in December.

Northeast Ohio Talent Dividend: Progress by Degrees

College attainment has made a huge contribution to national economic growth.

Now, attainment is declining while more educated workers leave the workforce.

We cannot get enough young people through college to replace the declining workforce.

Current working adults without a college credential can make a difference, too.

Regions with the most graduates have enjoyed the most income and productivity gains.

Source: Brian Bosworth’s presentation at the Talent Dividend Summit, December, 2010.

Why is this important?

By 2017, nearly 60% of all jobs in Ohio will require some education beyond high school.

Between now and 2018, the pace of job growth for college graduates will exceed that for high school graduates, resulting in five times as many jobs for those with a postsecondary credential than for those with a high school diploma.

Source: Carnevale (2010)

Why is this important?

A Steering Committee, comprised of regional civic, education, chambers of commerce, and foundation leaders, published this report.

To increase attainment, we are focusing on◦ improving college readiness, ◦ increasing retention to degree completion, and◦ increasing attainment among adults with some

college but no degree.

In-depth: The Action Plan

We can impact those three areas if we◦ increase participation in dual enrollment

programs,◦ increase college knowledge,◦ increase social support, encouragement, and

accountability,◦ engage employers in college recruitment,◦ expand adult experiential learning pathways, and◦ provide professional development for

implementers.

In-depth: The Action Plan

We have identified five critical metrics that will help us gauge progress toward achieving the Talent Dividend. They are◦ on-time high school graduation rate;◦ college continuation rate;◦ adult postsecondary participation rate;◦ college completion rate; and◦ yearly change in degrees awarded.

NOCHE will track these metrics annually.

In-depth: The Action Plan

Work with Steering Committee to develop a plan for implementation

Continue to cultivate support from regional stakeholders, especially from business

Identify implementers throughout Northeast Ohio’s communities

For more information, visit www.noche.org

Next Steps . . .