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Independent Colleges And Economic Development

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Governor Malloy visited Wesleyan University in Middletown on Monday.  He met with leaders of Connecticut’s private colleges and universities to talk jobs.

The Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges represents 16 schools that employ over 22,000 people.  

Colleges also generate lots of spin off employment, says Wesleyan University president Michael Roth. "I’m looking out the window at a construction site and there are dozens and dozens of local contractors and construction workers taking an old building, historic building on the western campus and making it into a core academic building."

Leaders of Connecticut’s private colleges discussed ways to partner with the state to stimulate economic growth.

Independent colleges offer more than half the state’s degrees in key economic development sectors like bioscience, information technology and allied health.  Governor Malloy says he’d like to see more of businesses in those industries offer internship opportunities for college and high school students.

"I think there’s lots of employers, particularly the under 100 size employers who really need to be introduced to the benefits of having internship programs.  In many cases they’re the same companies that are complaining about their inability to recruit talent and actually internships are a way to identify talent before you have to begin recruiting it."

Quinnipiac University President John Lahey says he’d like the state to ease certain regulatory requirements for new degrees. For example, Quinnipiac is preparing to offer a master’s degree program for anesthesiology assistants.

"In this particular case which is somewhat unique the state requires that these students have internships and affiliations working with practicing anesthesiology assistants. The national accrediting body does not require that. They require the students to study under the internship of an MD anesthesiologist."

College leaders also encouraged the Governor to continue to provide scholarship opportunities for middle and low-income students.

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a longtime reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Here And Now. Diane spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

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