Obama’s 2012 budget proposal makes investment in education
President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget proposal illustrated his administration’s stated focus on using education as a means to help improve the nation’s workforce and economy. “Education and lifelong learning will be critical for anyone trying to compete for the jobs of the future,” explains the budget documents, as pointed out by Bloomberg. “That is why I will continue to make education a national mission.”
The president’s 2012 budget proposal calls for a 2.5 percent increase in education spending, reaching a total of $69.8 billion. The budget specifically outlines an $8 billion investment in community colleges. The Community Colleges to Career Fund would be a joint effort between the Labor and Education departments in order to train 2 million workers for high-paying jobs in growing fields like health care and green technology. The program hopes to turn community colleges into “community career centers” that prepare students for local, in-demand jobs. The community college fund would also pay for programs geared to low-income students, allowing them to be paid for work by local employers while also earning college credit.
“Employers today are looking for the most skilled, educated workers,” Obama said to an audience at Northern Virginia Community College while detailing his education budget proposal, as reported by USA Today. “I don’t want them to find them in India or China. I went them to find those workers right here, in the United States.”
A coalition of the nation’s for-profit colleges voiced their pleasure with the Obama Administration’s plans for education, but would like to see the fund for community colleges opened to include all institutions of higher learning.
“Career colleges applaud the administration’s efforts to fund additional workforce training, but we encourage them to work on widening the impact of this career training fund by partnering with all institutions of higher education,” said Penny Lee, managing director of the Coalition for Educational Success. “The nation’s focus on economic recovery continues to highlight the importance of higher education in filling available jobs in growing industries. Through innovative and creative training programs, career colleges work hard to prepare ‘job ready’ graduates at a low cost to taxpayers."
Though there is talk that Obama’s budget proposal is too ambitious, Duncan echoed the president’s sentiment when it comes to the connection between investing in education and an improved economy.
“In these tough budget times, the Obama Administration is making a clear statement that high-quality education is absolutely critical to rebuilding our economy,” said the nation’s schools chief. “If we want to strengthen the American workforce, we must continue to invest in education.”
