PASSHE graduates prepare to address workforce shortages

Nearly 9,000 students of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education are graduating this spring and preparing for careers in fields with worker shortages such as business, education, health care, and STEM jobs.

“This is a great moment for these tremendous students and for Pennsylvania’s workforce,” Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Dan Greenstein said in a statement. “These graduates are educated and ready to enter jobs with worker shortages, from hospitals and classrooms to law enforcement, growing businesses, and the high-tech STEM economy.”

Per a release, PASSHE’s 10 state-owned universities coordinate with regional employers to align their academic programs with local workforce needs and create college-to-career paths that benefit both graduates and employers.

“As state-owned public universities, we have a responsibility to help build the robust workforce that Pennsylvania needs,” said Greenstein. “These graduates exemplify that students are overwhelmingly choosing majors to get jobs in high demand, and they are ready to start rewarding careers and help drive Pennsylvania’s economy.”

Business, education, and health care are the three most enrolled majors at State System Universities, according to the release. PASSHE universities serve more in-state students 82,000 than any four-year college or university in Pennsylvania. Nearly 90% of these students are from Pennsylvania, and according to PASSHE, a majority stay in the commonwealth to build their careers.

“Higher education opens doors of opportunity, whether students earn a degree to launch a career or complete short programs to update their skills to get a raise or promotion,” Greenstein said. “We are proud of all our graduates in every major and commend everyone who supported them in earning their degree. Their hard work is an investment in themselves and it?will benefit communities throughout Pennsylvania for decades to come.”

Serious workforce shortages exist across Pennsylvania as employers continue to struggle to hire qualified candidates for open jobs. In the health-care sector, the commonwealth’s rural hospitals reported job vacancy rates in 2023 of 26% for direct-care registered nurses and 28% for nursing support positions. By 2026, Pennsylvania is projected by industry groups to have the largest shortfall of registered nurses nationally.

School districts are also dealing with serious shortages due to a lack of teachers and educators.

“Pennsylvania employers large and small need talented people with a comprehensive education and specific skills to be problem solvers, innovative thinkers and ambitious doers, so they can be successful in a competitive marketplace,” Greenstein said. “For these graduates, the combination of their knowledge, passion, and dedication will help them to have success, strengthen the commonwealth’s economy and create sustaining jobs.”

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