Western Governors University helps Idahoans seize opportunities in post-pandemic economy

The world emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t look the same as what we remember from just a year-and-a-half ago. In Idaho, the change is even more pronounced.

The growth around the state is palpable and driving up home prices, rentals and property taxes. Restaurants are struggling to fill their shifts — even McDonald’s is advertising $13-an-hour pay. Companies are rethinking their office structures with the lessons learned from more than a year of remote work. Tech workers from Silicon Valley and Seattle can move anywhere with broadband internet and keep their high-paying jobs.

This new world brings with it great opportunities for Idahoans.

Four out of five Idaho residents already have access to internet speeds of 25 Mbps or faster, and this spring, Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature directed $45 million toward new investments in internet connectivity for underserved areas — on the heels of close to $50 million made available for broadband investments in 2020.

This foresightful move to bridge the digital divide in rural Idaho is a significant step in ensuring all Idaho communities benefit from the promise of the post-pandemic economy.

Around the West, we have seen a shift to more remote work, a growing freelance workforce and increased collaboration through software. And while these changes create significant new skills requirements, they open the door to workers in any community, no matter how small.

Today you can “up-skill” and hone and adjust what you already do well or “re-skill” and take on a new or emerging opportunity — all in your Idaho hometown.

Jeffers Erickson discovered how much he loved making a difference with youth in his community while he got more involved as the general manager of the Domino’s Pizza in Emmett. He’s now one of more than 2,000 Idaho students enrolled online at Western Governor’s University, studying to be a middle school teacher through WGU’s Bachelor of Science, Mathematics Education program.

This is what Idaho Gov. Phil Batt and 18 of his colleagues from around the West envisioned when they launched WGU 25 years ago. They created a student-centered, affordable and accessible nonprofit online university so Idahoans and others could choose the best approach for themselves for their education and, as Gov. Batt said back in 1996, be “assured that their efforts will be rewarded.”

That vision has come to pass. Today, more than 130,000 people from all 50 states — and hundreds of active military personnel stationed around the world — are taking advantage of WGU’s unique competency-based higher education, an approach that values skills and abilities acquired in life and work along with those taught in the classroom. Most importantly, more than 70% of WGU graduates work in jobs related to what they studied — compared to the national average of 42%. Our goal is to provide a clear pathway for working adults to advance themselves and their communities.

And thanks to another foresightful action from Gov. Little this year, Idahoans have even more affordable access to this addition to Idaho’s already rich and vibrant higher education offerings. This June, Gov. Little signed an agreement that gave Idahoans the chance to apply all state need-based scholarships toward their WGU degree — including the Adult Learner Opportunity Scholarship, the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship, the Idaho Gear UP Scholarship, the Idaho Post-Secondary Credit Scholarship and the Idaho Advanced Opportunities Grant.

All of us at WGU are committed to helping students like Jeffers bridge the gap from talent to opportunity — and all that post-pandemic economy has to offer. Our new partnership with the state of Idaho is a major step in ensuring more Idahoans can pursue the education they need to take full advantage.