By: John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D., president and CEO of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College

In his 2023 budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro stated that the system of higher education in Pennsylvania was in need of reform to adjust more quickly to the ever-changing education and training needs of Central Pennsylvania businesses. As president and CEO of Pennsylvania’s first and largest community college, I was intrigued on how he might address this challenge. After learning more about his blueprint for higher education, I continue to feel optimistic about Pennsylvania’s higher education’s individual and collective futures.

Over the last decade, HACC, like hundreds of other higher education institutions, has continued to experience enrollment declines. When I am engaging community and business leaders throughout our 11-county service region, I hear about some of their family members and/or colleagues who did not complete their college degree. Of the many reasons they don’t finish their education, the cost of obtaining a college degree and the debt that sometimes comes with it are at the top of the list, in addition to accessibility. Therefore, hopefully, this blueprint will provide HACC and other institutions of higher education with the resources necessary to ensure attaining a credential is affordable and accessible for all Pennsylvanians.

This is not just a higher education crisis. It's also a workforce crisis - as demonstrated by the significant gap between the number of Pennsylvania jobs requiring degrees and the number of residents who can fill those jobs.

Governor Shapiro’s blueprint is not only good for those transferring to a PASSHE institution, it is also good for current and potential employees who need the right credentials to fill 61,000 open jobs in the Commonwealth - particularly in fields such as education and nursing. Under the new governance structure the Governor proposed, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools and community colleges will be united. Here’s what that may mean for HACC:

• Improved access to an affordable higher education at PASSHE institutions, including Millersville and Shippensburg Universities, that HACC has close working relationships with.
• Support to help students earn certificates, diplomas or degrees ensuring our students will have jobs waiting for them upon graduation.
• Stability for our institutions, increased accountability and transparent allocation of taxpayer dollars by directing funding through a predictable and transparent formula connected to outcomes.

HACC’s exceptional students are worthy of the Commonwealth’s full support. Some are single parents and work jobs, some are career switchers and some are retired veterans who attend HACC to chart a new career path. The Governor believes that every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. As HACC’s president and CEO, I couldn't agree more that Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher education need to help chart that course for them in new and innovative ways.

The Governor’s blueprint, I believe, will benefit HACC and our students. I encourage legislative leaders to meet this blueprint with an open mind and collaborative spirit – because Pennsylvania needs a strong higher education sector to train and prepare workers ready to meet the workforce needs of the future. Therefore, I look forward to being an active member in this conversation to ensure students in Central Pennsylvania and beyond have the opportunity to obtain an affordable and high-quality college education.