To the editor:

Bond Question 1 will expand workforce training in high-demand fields like healthcare and the skilled trades.

Across the state, Rhode Island’s employers are struggling to fill jobs in critical areas like healthcare, construction, the trades, and manufacturing. These workforce challenges have ripple effects that touch our daily lives—the ability to get a timely healthcare appointment or an emergency repair at your home—while creating a negative impact on our economy overall.

At the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community College of Rhode Island we are moving quickly to meet these workforce challenges and prepare for the needs of tomorrow.
At URI, students in nursing, pharmacy, and the health sciences are working with researchers across fields to find treatments for Alzheimer’s, cancer, and age-related diseases. As graduates, they are working in hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices, and other community health settings. But as we’ve all experienced over the past several years, Rhode Island needs thousands of additional healthcare professionals. An Integrated Health Building at URI will expand modern health education and clinical training and strengthen the pipeline of professionals who care for Rhode Islanders and their families.

CCRI is also bridging the gap between education and the workforce. With more Rhode Islanders seeking industry credentials and apprenticeships, the proposed Workforce Innovation Center will get students into the workforce faster with the skills employers are looking for. Hands-on learning spaces with state-of-the-art equipment that mirrors actual workplaces will not only benefit students but create opportunities for employers to utilize the center for ongoing employee training.

At RIC, where more than half of students are the first in their families to attend college, the Student Success and Career Readiness Center at a modernized Adams Library will bring advising, professional resources, employment opportunities, and real-world training under one roof to propel students toward high-paying careers.

Higher education shouldn’t leave students in debt and without meaningful job opportunities. That’s why Rhode Island’s state colleges and universities are re-writing the script by offering an affordable, high-quality education with hands-on training that employers are telling us they desperately need.

We know that when we invest in modern education and workforce training, we invest in the future of Rhode Island. That’s why we’re asking Rhode Islanders to please join us in voting “Yes” on ballot Question 1 this election—for education, for jobs, and for healthcare.

Marc B. Parlange, President of the University of Rhode Island
Jack R. Warner, President of Rhode Island College
Rosemary A. Costigan, President of the Community College of Rhode Island