The Need
In Kenosha County, 25- to 64-year-olds with a Bachelor’s degree or more have a higher rate of employment and labor force participation than their counterparts without one. These effects are cumulative—median lifetime earnings rise with each additional level of education, from $1.6M for those with a high school diploma, to $2M for those with an Associate’s degree, to $2.8M for those with a Bachelor’s degree.
While significant movement has been made to transform systems towards increased student retention and graduation rates, equity gaps remain between student groups. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 on enrollment in post-secondary institutions the fall after high school has drastically declined, with only 29% of high school graduates enrolling after 2019-2020, as compared to 52% in 2018-2019. Visit our data pages for additional data.
While significant movement has been made to transform systems towards increased student retention and graduation rates, equity gaps remain between student groups. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 on enrollment in post-secondary institutions the fall after high school has drastically declined, with only 29% of high school graduates enrolling after 2019-2020, as compared to 52% in 2018-2019. Visit our data pages for additional data.
Bright Spots
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LUMINA TALENT HUB
In 2017, Kenosha and Racine counties were designated as a Lumina Talent Hub through the Lumina Foundation. The Talent Hub is a partnership between UW-Parkside, Gateway Technical College, Building Our Future, and Higher Expectations for Racine County, focusing on increasing retention and graduation rates for traditional-age students. In 2021, this work completed its fourth year of designation as a Lumina Foundation Talent Hub. The collaborative effort continues to focus on improving the K-16 math pipeline. HIGHER EDUCATION REGIONAL ALLIANCE (HERA) Building off the Lumina Talent Hub, Building Our Future worked alongside Higher Expectations for Racine County and Milwaukee Succeeds to support the creation of the Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA). HERA is a collaborative of 18 southeastern Wisconsin public and private, two- and four-year colleges and universities and a network of partner organizations who are dedicated to closing achievement gaps on each of their campuses, representing more than 150,000 students. In 2021, HERA continued to work with the 18 post-secondary institutions in the region to scale post-secondary success strategies through monthly coaching, data, and action. WISCONSIN WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT Gateway Technical College —in partnership with BOF, Higher Expectations for Racine County, the Southeast WI Workforce Development Board, and the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin—received a $5.6 million grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to expand the successful model for adult learners to earn their high school equivalency diploma. There are currently 30,000 adults in Southeast Wisconsin without a high school credential. This partnership will increase the opportunity for adults to earn their high school equivalency credential through expanded program access, increased technology support, and regional career navigators to recruit and support student success. |
Being chosen as a These disparities have existed far too long in every |
