Americans link higher education to global competitiveness
Strongly support career education
A survey released today, commissioned by the Career College Association and conducted by Harris Interactive(R), finds the American public sees a clear link between higher education and global workforce competitiveness and strongly supports alternative approaches to postsecondary education. The survey also finds strong support for a decision to attend a career college.
Among the top line findings:
– Nearly nine out of ten U.S. adults (89 percent) say they see value in a decision to enroll in a career college;
– Two of three adults (67 percent) agree with the idea that in order for the U.S. to be competitive in the global marketplace, every American needs at least one year of college education;
– In pursuing this postsecondary education, 86 percent of adults agree with the need to consider alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree;
– In terms of what form this education should take, 84 percent of adults believe that for some Americans this education should focus on careers rather than more academic pursuits like social science or humanities.
According to CCA President and CEO Harris N. Miller: “We are extremely pleased to receive this strong validation of our sector, especially because it comes from the most important constituency of all: the American public. This study shows Americans have ‘crossed the Rubicon’ in their thinking when it comes to valuing purposeful higher education delivered in a practical way. We hope those who influence, shape and implement higher education policy will do the same. “
The new survey provides a variety of fresh insights into the attitudes of the public towards the idea of postsecondary education for all Americans and alternative approaches for achieving this goal. For instance, younger people and, in particular, young women seem to share the goal of at least one year of higher education more strongly than older adults. Nearly eight of ten women in the 18-34 age group (79 percent) agree that in order for the U.S. to be competitive in the global marketplace, every American needs at least one year of college education, compared to only 64 percent of women age 55 or older.
Other key findings:
Awareness of Higher Education Alternatives
The survey found that Americans are acquainted with non-traditional postsecondary approaches. Most (60 percent) have attended or are planning to attend a non-traditional college or university or know of someone who has or is planning to.
More than one in five (22%) have either attended or plan to attend such an institution. The move towards non-traditional approaches is more keenly felt by the young, with 67 percent of those age 18-34 indicating that they are either attending, plan to attend or know someone attending or planning to attend this type of school, compared to only 52 percent of those 55 or older. Three out of four current students say they either attend or are planning to attend or know someone who attends or is planning to attend a non-traditional college or university.
A Willingness to Consider Alternative Approaches
While the overwhelming majority of adults indicate the need to consider alternatives to traditional four-year colleges and universities, the proportion of those indicating that they “strongly agree” with this view is substantially greater than those who “strongly disagree” (28 percent versus 4 percent).
Practical experience may help shape this view. Those with some college education (90 percent) are more likely to agree that alternative postsecondary approaches should be considered than those with a high school education or less (81 percent).
“Traditional higher education is extremely important in shaping the national character and nothing in this survey diminishes its critical role in society,” said Miller. “It’s no coincidence, however, that private not-for-profit colleges and universities are seeing the higher education landscape shifting quickly. Americans view college as less of a privilege and more of a basic economic necessity. The bottom line: people are more than willing to consider alternative approaches to traditional colleges and universities.”
Americans Connect Education and Careers
The public believes higher education for some Americans should be career-focused as opposed to focused on academic topics. One of four adults (26 percent) say they strongly agree with this, while only three percent say they strongly disagree.
This thinking may be influenced by age, with 89 percent of older adults (those 55 years of age or older) agreeing with the need to make postsecondary education career focused, compared to only 79 percent of younger adults (those 18 to 34). Retirees are most likely to hold this view (92 percent), while current students are least likely to do so (74 percent). Interestingly, those with more education and higher household incomes are more likely to see the value of career-focused education as an alternative for some Americans. Twice as many college graduates (35 percent) strongly agree with this opinion as compared to those with a high school diploma or less (17 percent). Nearly one out of three adults (32 percent) in households with incomes of $75,000 or higher strongly agree with getting a career-focused education, while only 22 percent of those with household incomes of less than $35,000 feel the same.
“What’s Important” Emphasizes Practical Considerations
Higher education attributes such as low tuition, schedule and class flexibility, immersive hands-on education, student services and job placement rate trump values like institutional reputation, competitive admissions and tenured faculty in the public’s assessment of what is important in obtaining a higher education.
Seventy-six percent of adults identify “low tuition cost” as important, as do 67 percent for “schedule and class flexibility,” 64 percent for “immersive hands-on education and training in a chosen field of study,” and 61 percent for “job placement” and “student support services.” Only 38 percent of adults identify “school reputation” as important, while 21 percent say the same of “competitiveness of admissions process” and 13 percent of “tenured faculty.”
“Career colleges excel in factors such as flexibility, program richness, job placement assistance and student support services, making them the best value for many students,” said Miller. “And while the ’sticker price’ may be higher than some other alternatives, when you factor in speed to degree and completion rates, they may be less costly for many. Americans value the factors that characterize the career college experience, including career assistance, student support services, and internships.”
Americans Value Career College
Perhaps placing importance on values such as flexibility and hands-on education explains why Americans overwhelmingly see value in career colleges.
Nearly nine out of ten adults (89 percent) say they see value in a decision to attend a career college, and this viewpoint is shared in the survey across region, age, gender and marital status.
“We are extremely gratified that 94 percent of America’s current college graduates said they see the value of career college,” Miller said. “I can’t think of a stronger message of support for our sector. It also suggests that those who have been to traditional schools understand the need to consider and value other approaches for reaching the nation’s higher education and workforce competitiveness goals.”
Harris Interactive(R) fielded the study on behalf of Career College Association from September 14-16, 2009 via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,022 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
Source: Career College Association
Global poll shows support for increased Government spending and regulation
Majorities around the world support governments playing an active role in stimulating and regulating their national economy in response to the current recession, according to a new poll conducted for BBC World Service.
The survey found that an average of three in five (60%) citizens — and majorities in 13 of the 20 countries polled — support “significantly increasing government spending to stimulate the economy.” Support is especially strong for investments in renewable energy and green technology (72%) and giving financial support to troubled industries and companies (62%).
Most (67% overall) also want to see increased government oversight of the national economy. Among major economies, support was highest in China (94%) and lowest in the US (50%) and Japan (38%).
US efforts to address the crisis have been relatively well-received around the world. Nearly half (46%) of all respondents say they are satisfied with what it has been doing, with 39% expressing dissatisfaction.
In comparison, 44% on average are satisfied with their own government’s response, 36% are satisfied with the actions of the World Bank and IMF, 32% with executives of major banks and 31% with the government of China. People in developed countries are less satisfied with these groups than are people in developing countries.
People’s satisfaction with their own government’s response varies greatly. Most express satisfaction in Australia (68%), Egypt (63%), Brazil (59%), Canada (57%), and Indonesia (57%). However, satisfaction is low in France (27%), Mexico (9%), Japan (18%), and the Philippines (24%). Americans have evenly divided views of their government’s response.
The results are drawn from a survey of 22,158 adult citizens across 20 countries, jointly conducted by GlobeScan and the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between 19 June and 17 August, 2009.
GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller comments, “It is clear that citizens in many countries are still not seeing the kind of economic leadership they think is needed from their national government. Particularly low levels of satisfaction in Europe, Japan and Latin America suggest that stronger consumer confidence — seen as essential for economic recovery — will take more time in these parts of the world.”
Steven Kull, director of PIPA, comments, “People around the world are looking for a dynamic approach to the economic crisis and are giving relatively good marks to the active efforts of the Obama administration.”
Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland
Protecting American Health from Global Shipping Pollution
“Emission Control Area” Means Healthier Air for Millions of Americans
A new report finds that more than 87 million Americans live in port areas that are not meeting federal health-based air quality standards. The report, Protecting American Health from Global Shipping Pollution, documents the public health effects associated with air pollution from global shipping, including container ships, tankers, cruise ships, and bulk carriers. The report, released by the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, National Association of Clean Air Agencies, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, is available online at: www.edf.org/documents/9466_ECA_report_March2009.pdf.
The coalition strongly encourages and supports action by the U.S. government that to apply to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the establishment of an Emission Control Area: an area where rigorous pollution limits apply to global shipping activity. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will announce the U.S. application to the IMO during a noon news conference today in Port Newark, NJ. Foreign-flagged vessels make 90 percent of the ship calls on U.S. ports. Leading researchers estimate that shipping pollution is associated with 60,000 global deaths annually. EPA’s Analysis shows that the establishment of an Emission Control Area could dramatically reduce lethal particulate pollution in U.S. coastal communities.
COALITION STATEMENTS
Statement of Captain Charles D. Connor, U.S. Navy (Ret.), American Lung Association President and CEO: “In my career as a U.S. Navy Captain, I saw firsthand the staggering amounts of pollution that cruise ships, container ships, tankers and other ocean-going vessels released into the atmosphere. These ships dock at more than 100 ports along our coastline and along navigable waterways far inland. Their smog- and soot-forming emissions threaten the health of those living far from our nation’s maritime ports.”
Statement of Vickie Patton, Deputy General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund: “The dangerous air pollution from these floating smokestacks is a serious health threat to tens of millions of Americans who live and work in port cities. Cleaning up these big ships will chart a course for cleaner air and healthier communities.”
Statement of Bill Becker, Executive Director, National Association of Clean Air Agencies: “These big ships are big emitters. We need all hands on deck to help state and local air pollution control officials reduce the pollution from global shipping and restore healthier air in our communities.”
Statement of Dennis McLerran, Executive Director, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: “Approval of an Emission Control Area for the coasts of North America at the earliest possible date will save hundreds of lives across the U.S. and Canada. In the Pacific Northwest, ocean-going ships travel hundreds of miles inland before reaching the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma and we will see significant air quality improvements in a wide area of Washington State when an ECA is put in place.”
BACKGROUND
An Emission Control Area, or ECA, would provide the strongest clean air standards available under international law. It would dramatically improve fuel quality and reduce smog-forming oxides of nitrogen for all ocean-going ships in the exclusive economic zone of the United States, an area that typically extends about 200 nautical miles from the coast. To secure these vital protections, the U.S. government must submit an application to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) demonstrating the need to prevent, reduce and control global shipping emissions. The IMO would review the application at its July meeting and take final action on the U.S. request in 2010.
Container ships, tankers and the other large sea-going vessels that dock at more than 100 U.S. port cities burn low grade “residual fuel” or “bunker fuel” that is a major source of air pollution, including the formation of particulate pollution. Residual fuel contains sulfur levels 1,800 times greater than U.S. law allows for other diesel engines. A recent study by two leading researchers on shipping pollution, Corbett and Winebrake, shows shipping-related particulate pollution contributes to approximately 60,000 global deaths annually, with impacts concentrated in coastal regions on major trade routes.
In October 2008, the IMO, with active participation from the U.S. government, adopted new baseline global emission standards for ocean-going ships and their fuel. The IMO also provided for more rigorous, heightened protections in designated Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The fuel used to power these ships currently contains about 27,000 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur. In an ECA, the sulfur in fuel will be limited to 10,000 ppm in August 2012 and then to 1,000 ppm in January 2015.
Within an ECA, ships must also achieve an 80 percent reduction in smog-forming oxides of nitrogen starting in 2016.
EPA air quality analyses shows the pollution reductions required in an ECA will reduce exposure to lethal particulate pollution for millions of Americans.
Ocean-going ships contribute to unhealthy air quality across the United States. According to EPA, in 2001, these large ships emitted approximately:
- 745,000 tons of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen, a precursor to ground-level ozone. Ozone can aggravate asthma and decrease lung function in addition to other health effects;
- 450,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, a key contributor to acid rain that can also be transformed into lethal particulate matter; and
- 54,000 tons of fine particulates, microscopic sized particles, which can be breathed deep into the lungs, bypassing the body’s defense systems. They are implicated in thousands of premature deaths each year. Other harmful health effects also result from breathing fine particulates.
Ocean-going ships are also responsible for about 3 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas pollution.
American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lungusa.org.
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
National Association of Clean Air Agencies comprises the air pollution control agencies in 53 states and territories and over 165 metropolitan areas across the country. NACAA’s members have primary responsibility for ensuring that everyone in our nation breathes clean, healthful air. For more information, visit www.4cleanair.org.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is the regional air quality agency for the area including the major container ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. We work together the clean the air we breathe and protect our climate through education, incentives and enforcement. For more information, visit www.pscleanair.org.
Source: Environmental Defense Fund
Landmark Policy Report: Many Cancers Could Be Prevented Across the Globe
Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Recommendations for All Levels of Society
A new global policy report estimates that approximately 37 percent of colon cancer cases and 28 percent of breast cancer cases in Brazil and other middle-income countries in South America are preventable through diet, physical activity and weight maintenance. The report also sets out recommendations for policies to reduce the global number of cancer cases.
The overall message of the report, Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention, published today by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), is that all sections of society need to make public health, and cancer prevention in particular, a higher priority.
It includes estimates on the proportion of many different types of cancer that could be prevented through diet, physical activity and weight. In South America, about one third of the most common cancers could be prevented. That figure does not include smoking, which alone accounts for about a third of cancers.
Different Policy Recommendations for Different Groups
As part of the evidence-based report, thought to be the most comprehensive ever published on the subject, two independent teams of scientists systematically examined the evidence for how policy changes can influence the behaviors that affect cancer risk.
Following this, a panel of 23 world-renowned experts made a total of 48 recommendations, divided between nine different but often overlapping sectors of society — called “actor groups” in the report. These actor groups are: multinational bodies; civil society organizations; government; industry; media; schools; workplaces and institutions; health and other professionals; and people.
Among the recommendations:
- Governments should require widespread walking and cycling routes to encourage physical activity.
- Governments should encourage healthy food and discourage unhealthy food through legislation and pricing.
- Industry should give a higher priority for goods and services that encourage people to be active, particularly young people.
- The food and drinks industry should make public health an explicit priority at all stages of production.
- Schools should actively encourage physical activity and provide healthy food for children.
- Schools, workplaces and institutions should not have unhealthy foods available in vending machines.
- Health professionals should take a lead in giving the public information about public health, including cancer prevention.
- People should use independent nutrition guides and food labels to make sure the food they buy for their family is healthy.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Chair of the WCRF/AICR Panel, said, “When people think of policy reports, they often think they only speak to governments. But the evidence shows that when it comes to cancer prevention, all groups in society have a vital role to play. “
Panel member Tim Byers, M.D., MPH of the University of Colorado at Denver said, “Estimating cancer preventability is a very complex prospect that involves making a number of assumptions. Having said that, the figures in this report are as good an estimate it is possible to achieve about the proportion of cancer cases that could be prevented through healthy diet, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.”
“On a global level every year, there are millions of cancer cases that could have been prevented. This is why we need to act now before the situation gets even worse.”
The report includes preventability for Brazil (considered a middle-income country), as well as for the U.S. and U.K. (considered a high-income countries), and China, considered a low-income countries. The global preventability estimate ranges between one quarter and one third of all cancers.
Policy Report Represents the Next Step
The new WCRF/AICR Policy Report is a companion document to the expert report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, which was published by AICR and WCRF in November of 2007. That expert report evaluated the scientific evidence from over 7000 studies and came away with 10 recommendations for lowering cancer risk.
“The 2007 expert report identified the specific choices that people can make to protect themselves against cancer, but actually making those healthy choices remains difficult for many people,” said policy report panel member Ricardo Uauy, M.D., Ph.D., of the Instituto de Nutricion y Technologia de los Alimentos in Santiago, Chile. “The policy report takes the next step — it identifies opportunities for us as a society to make those choices easier.”
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its Web site, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.