The Seattle Times – Katherine Long
“Only about 31 percent of the high-school class of 2006 had earned a postsecondary credential, including a college degree, by 2013 — a significant mismatch with the types of jobs being created in Washington and the level of education needed to get them, according to a new study by the Washington Roundtable. The study reiterates what other reports have found about low levels of college attainment in this state, and underscores the degree to which Washington students will miss out on the coming wave of lucrative job openings in the next five years. According to the study, commissioned by the Roundtable, about 69 percent of high-school students from 2006 have no degree, not even a certificate from a community college or a professional license. More than 20 percent of those students are high-school dropouts. Roundtable President Steve Mullin called the results alarming. And his organization — a public-policy group of business leaders — has set a goal: By 2030, it wants to more than double the percentage of students who have a college degree or other type of credential by age 26.”(more)