'America's Divided Recovery' calls for college education; Baker College enrolling for fall

Report shows 99 percent of post-recession jobs
went to workers with some college education

JACKSON, Mich. – Baker College’s Jackson campus is enrolling students for 2016 fall quarter. The deadline for new student enrollment is Thursday, Sept. 15, for classes that begin Monday, Sept. 26.

The enrollment deadline for new students who wish to take classes 100 percent online during the fall quarter is Monday, Sept. 12.

“Education or training at the college level is now more essential than ever for those who want a productive career with a well-paying job,” said Steve Simpson, Ed.D., Baker College of Jackson president. “New research shows nearly all the jobs created since 2010 went to those with some postsecondary credentials; those without them are at a severe economic disadvantage.”

He is referring to the new 2016 report, “America’s Divided Recovery: College Haves and Have-Nots” by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce.

A key finding is that those with some postsecondary education gained more than 99 percent of the 11.6 million jobs created since 2010: 3.8 million went to those with graduate degrees, 4.6 million went to those with bachelor’s degrees, 3.1 million went to associate-degree holders.

Only 80,000, less than one percent, of the jobs went to workers with a high school diploma or less even though that group lost 5.6 million jobs, or more than three-fourths, of the total jobs lost in the recession of 2007-2010, according to the report.

Simpson said, “Baker College admissions advisors can help prospective students select the career program that is right for them and in demand by employers.”

New this quarter is enrollment for the four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN). The new 14,266-square-foot building dedicated to manufacturing programs will house three bachelor’s degree programs in engineering. Electrical and industrial engineering have been added to the previous offering of mechanical engineering.

Additional manufacturing programs are computer numerical control (CNC) machinist, advanced manufacturing technology and computer aided design.

Other bachelor’s, associate and certificate career programs offered at the Jackson campus include accounting, management, marketing, paralegal, information systems, cyber defense, computer networking technology-Microsoft/Cisco options, Linux/Unix systems technology, several in information technology, early childhood education, teacher preparation, health services administration, radiation therapy, health information technology, medical assistant, medical insurance specialist, veterinary technology, correctional studies, criminal justice and human services.

Financial assistance is available to students, including scholarships, grants, low-interest loans and work-study programs. For more information, contact Dan Smith in the admissions office at daniel.smith@baker.edu or 517.788.7800. Students may schedule an appointment via the Baker College website, www.baker.edu.

For information about the Georgetown University report, visit cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/americas-divided-recovery/.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1911, Baker College grants doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificates in diverse academic fields including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. Baker College has on-ground campuses in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and offers online programs that can be completed 100 percent online without ever visiting a campus. In 2016, the Online Learning Consortium recognized Baker College Online with the OLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement, the highest ranking for online higher education programs. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

# # #