The region's colleges and universities can be a vital tool in stimulating economic growth in the area
EWING -- The region's colleges and universities can be a vital tool in stimulating economic growth in the area, a panel of college presidents said Thursday.
Presidents from Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Thomas Edison State College and Mercer County Community College took part in a discussion on the role of higher education in economic development in the capital city region.
The schools, they said, employ thousands of people -- many of whom live in the county and put the money back into the economy -- offer a full slate of arts, cultural and sporting events to the public and invest in the communities.
Thomas Edison State College, for example, sought to preserve historic properties and transform blighted neighborhoods when it decided to build its campus in Trenton, President George Pruitt said.
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But even more importantly, the colleges and universities are responsible for producing graduates that are capable of competing in a 21st-century society, the panel said.
"We're not seeking to graduate students in areas where they cannot get jobs," TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein said.
She and others said that the colleges need to continue to partner with business leaders to make sure that the graduates are meeting the needs of employers. Among the examples are internships, co-ops, study abroad, research and service opportunities.
Colleges not only need to help students excel in their chosen disciplines, but they also need to help them develop the critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork skills that will better prepare them for the real world, MCCC President Jianping Wang said.
"In a knowledge society, if you don't train a workforce that has critical and analytical thinking abilities, you're not going to have a workforce," she said. "You have to train people who have the ability to adapt."
Rider President Gregory Dell'Omo said students need to be ready to succeed not only in their first job, but in the different jobs they will inevitably hold over the course of their careers.
Wang also said that developing local talent will be key to the capital city's revitalization.
"Businesses and educators must partner together to make sure that we educate all the people locally so businesses can hire them locally and those people stay locally," she said.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.