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What
will it take to grow our city and attract new-economy jobs? One thing we know
for sure is more citizens with post-secondary degrees. So a coalition of business, civic and
government leaders have taken on an exciting new initiative that will increase
the number of degree-holders in Louisville
by 55,000 people.
A bold
goal? You bet.
The 55,000
Degrees initiative aims to increase the number of working-age adults
with post-secondary degrees in Louisville
by 55,000 by 2020. This ambitious plan includes 40,000 bachelor degrees and
15,000 associate degrees. The African American community has committed to
helping ensure at least 15,000 of these degrees be earned by minorities. An
increase of this magnitude would place Louisville
in the top tier of its competitor cities for adults for educational attainment.
As part of this effort, Greater Louisville Inc. and the HIRE
Education Forum have received an $800,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to
help 3,500 adults with some college credit but no degrees earn their diplomas.
Other foundations in the community have stepped up to show their support for
the 55,000 Degrees initiative by committing more than $1 million over the next
three years. These foundations include the James Graham Brown Foundation, the
Humana Foundation, C.E. & S Foundation, the Community Foundation of
Louisville, and JPMorgan Chase Foundation.
The Inner Chamber is extremely excited for the launch of
this new community-wide program, which will no doubt become a best-practice for
other cities across the nation. A new 55,000 Degrees website is coming soon –
we’ll post when it goes live.