Hartford Business Journal

2014 | Doing Business in Connecticut 35 lum, paid internships, and a business-led advisory board. NAF schools promote project- based learning, or authentic contexts that encourage students to think critically and solve real-world problems. The positive long-term impacts of those schools on educational attainment and labor-market outcomes are well documented. Ninety percent of NAF students graduate on time, and four out of five go on to pursue post- secondary education. Educational Excellence Recognizing the value of a skilled, productive workforce, Connecticut — with significant support and input from its business community — invests heav- ily in its education system, continually strengthening curriculum and graduation requirements; improving access to high- quality early childhood programs; funding data-driven decision-making and education reform, such as Wallingford Public Schools' 21st Century Innovation Project (inset); and directing greater resources to districts that embrace key reforms aimed at positioning students for success. Here are just a few examples of the state's strategic advantage in the areas of workforce and education: • With more than 45 colleges and universities, including world-class research institutions Yale and UConn, Connecticut outperforms most of the country in the educational attainment of its labor force. According to the National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, Connecticut ranks third in the percent- age of working-age residents with a master's, professional, or doctoral degree. More than 36 percent of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher. CNBC Top States for Business 2013 ranks Connecticut fifth in the na- tion for educational quality. • The value of a highly educated workforce can be seen in the state's economic productivity and innovation. Connecticut is fourth in the nation (and seventh in the world) in gross state product per capita (28 percent above the U.S. average), eighth in patents issued per 100,000 workers (40 percent over the national average), and ninth for manufacturing value added per production hour worked. • Connecticut ranks second in the U.S. for average composite scores on the ACT college readiness exam and third in the U.S. News State-by-State Breakdown of 2013 Best High Schools. In addition, our high school students outpace many of their peers globally in math, science, and reading, according to the latest assessment conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooper- ation and Development. In 2012, only four education systems worldwide outperformed Connecticut in read- ing scores. Connecticut students also scored higher than both the U.S. and international average in science and mathematics literacy. • The Milken Institute's State Technology and Science Index, which evaluates states' tech and science capabilities and their success at converting those assets into companies and high-paying jobs, ranks Connecticut ninth in the country. • Home to aerospace, biomedical, and advanced manufacturing firms on the cutting edge, and headquarters to 17 Fortune 500 companies, Connecticut is fourth in the country in business R&D per capita and fifth in the per- centage of scientists and engineers in the workforce. • Advanced manufacturing centers in the state's community colleges offer business-driven curricula, measur- able outcomes, and industry-recognized credentials to meet the needs of ad- vanced and precision manufacturers. • The Next Gen- eration Connecticut initiative, signed into law by Gov. Malloy, is aggressively boost- ing UConn's standing as a research institution and increasing its number of STEM faculty and graduates. The initiative includes a $1.5-billion capital component to fund the renovation and construction of research labs and classrooms, and the state is investing an additional $137 million in operating funds to hire new faculty and staff. • At the same time Connecticut's ranking in student achievement growth (now seventh in the nation) increased, its achievement gap (performance dispari- ties between economically disadvan- taged students and their more affluent peers) has decreased. • Keeping Connecticut's talent pipe- line strong, maintaining our strate- gic advantage as a high-skill, highly educated and productive state, and continuing to narrow the achievement gap are top priorities for CBIA and the business community. Lesia Winiarskyj is a writer on economic and workforce issues at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. You may reach her at lesia.winiarskyj@cbia.com. Wallingford Public Schools Superintendent Sal Menzo meets regularly with a "think tank of one or two dozen businesses" who share insights into what today's employers need; the skills, knowledge, and key dispositions graduates lack upon entering the workplace; and how schools can better serve their students. "It's a partnership between our district and the business community," says Dr. Menzo. "Local businesses collaborate with our schools, brainstorming, volunteering, job shadowing, mentoring and helping us prepare students for the demands of college and careers." Through the district's 21st Century Innovation Project, area businesses — including CBIA member companies — provided sabbatical funding for faculty and administrators to conduct in- depth research, collect data and begin implementing a capstone project and other experiential learning initiatives. SPONSORED REPORT Team Effort

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