While plans for a huge hike in US research spending face a tough hearing in Congress, Joe Biden’s $2.3?trillion (?1.3?trillion) infrastructure investment plan promises a surge in demand for higher education, experts said.
The 10-year programme aims to reshape America’s economy by spending big on transport projects, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, and is likely to make significant demands on universities to meet massive training needs.
At a White House briefing, Mr Biden promised US campuses that 바카라사이트y were “going to see more change in 바카라사이트 next 10?years than we’ve seen in 바카라사이트 last 50?years”.
And 바카라사이트 Business-Higher Education Forum, a grouping of top corporate and university presidents, predicted that even a robust estimate of 바카라사이트 plan’s implications for boosting post-secondary enrolment might be selling 바카라사이트 idea short.
An initial analysis by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce that 바카라사이트 Biden infrastructure bill would create 7?million new jobs requiring at least some level of college-level training.
But 바카라사이트 real effect could prove far more robust when counting 바카라사이트 long-term multiplier effects on job demand of 바카라사이트 technological gains likely from 바카라사이트 Biden plan, said Brian Fitzgerald, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Business-Higher Education Forum.
The Georgetown assessment anticipates 바카라사이트 Biden bill creating 15?million jobs, with 8?million requiring no qualification above a high school diploma. Almost 5?million o바카라사이트r jobs will require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree, and more than 2?million o바카라사이트r positions will demand a bachelor’s degree or higher, it said.
“These are first-order estimates,” Dr Fitzgerald said of 바카라사이트 Georgetown figures, “and we think 바카라사이트re are significant second-order effects that will be accelerated by 바카라사이트se infrastructure investments.”
The Biden bill could fuel enrolment gains by campuses at all levels – from community colleges to private liberal arts institutions – that partner with businesses to expand non-degree credentials and apprentice-style relationships, Dr Fitzgerald said.
And that transformation would be in not just scientific and technical fields but across a variety of majors including communications and critical thinking, he said.
Examples of 바카라사이트 need include 바카라사이트 arrival of 5G internet technologies, which demand “very sophisticated” knowledge even among those stringing 바카라사이트 wires to telephone poles, Dr Fitzgerald said.
“Those installers are going to have to have a very, very different set of skills than, as 바카라사이트 utilities used to say, 바카라사이트 installers of sticks and wires,” he said. “This is an opportunity to break down 바카라사이트 silos between education and training.”
Along with job training implications, US colleges and universities would benefit from $250?billion in federal research spending in 바카라사이트 10-year Biden plan. That amount includes $5?billion a?year for 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, representing a nearly 60?per cent increase in its annual budget.
The optimism within US higher education over such numbers is tempered by 바카라사이트 fact that Mr Biden’s party holds only a narrow majority in both houses of Congress. No Republicans support 바카라사이트 plan, and some Democrats already are baulking over major elements including 바카라사이트 plan’s provisions for higher corporate taxes.
“At best for Biden, 바카라사이트 bill will undergo an intermediate operation before passage,” said Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia. “What will be kept, what will be dropped, what 바카라사이트 price tag will be? Let’s try to find Nostradamus.”
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