By Susan D. DeVore,
President & CEO, Premier, Inc.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, healthcare represents
our nation’s largest and fastest growing employment sector, generating close to
20 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and projected to increase 10.8
percent, adding 15.6 million more jobs, by 2022[1].
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| Susan DeVore |
By and large, these future employment opportunities are high paying,
professional positions that require advanced degrees and training in science,
technology engineering and mathematics (STEM). As a North Carolinian and an
employer with headquarters in Charlotte, I want as many of those new jobs and
the economic growth they produce to remain in state. But this goal can only be achieved
if we properly fund the education programs needed to produce the workforce of
the future.
Recognizing the opportunities ahead, University of North Carolina (UNC)
students are turning to STEM majors in record numbers. Half of the students at
UNC Charlotte have declared majors in STEM fields, while the other majors
require their students to gain exposure to STEM through science laboratory
coursework. While this interest is encouraging to me as an employer, I share
the concerns of others that our as-is infrastructure can’t keep pace with the
demand.
Enrollment at UNC Charlotte has spiked by 142 percent since its current
science facilities were built in 1985, which is why I’m writing and urging
voters to approve the Connect NC Bond on March 15.
The $2 billion Connect NC bond will fund statewide investments in parks,
safety, recreation, and water and sewer infrastructure, earmarking more than
half the funds ($1.25 billion) for investment in higher education, mostly in
STEM fields. In Charlotte alone, that investment translates into $90 million
for UNC Charlotte, which will be used to develop new, larger and more modern
science facilities for incoming students.
This investment is critical for healthcare companies like Premier, which
depend on top talent in STEM fields to help us develop next generation data
analytics, cloud computing applications, cyber security and science and
clinical consulting solutions – positions that today we struggle to fill due to
a dearth of qualified candidates. At any given time, we at Premier have about
120 open positions, some of which can take up to eight months to fill. And we
are not alone. As an alliance of 3,600 health systems and 120,000 other
providers, we continually hear the refrain that today’s job applicants are insufficiently
prepared to succeed in a 21st Century economy that is fast
coalescing around STEM expertise.
Not only is the Connect NC bond a sound investment in our children’s
futures, it’s a fiscally responsible decision. Issuing the bond will not
increase taxes, nor will it change North Carolina’s AAA bond rating. In fact,
because of our growing population and today’s favorable interest rates, the
Connect NC bond will make up a relatively small portion of the state’s total
debts, and will be less expensive to service in five years than it is
today.
In business, when the demand is acute, the risk is low and the timing
is advantageous, we consider the activity a win-win-win. The Connect NC bond reflects
that win-win-win formula, as a critical, timely investment that will enable our
state and our region to remain competitive, both educationally and
economically. It’s important that our community support the funding needed to modernize
and expand STEM education opportunities at UNC Charlotte in order to close
today’s “skills gap,” and meet 21st Century demands. The jobs are here; now is
the time to create the workforce to fill them.
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Susan DeVore serves on UNC Charlotte's Board of Trustees.
More information about UNC Charlotte's need for a new science building may be found online.
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