Onorato Releases Plan to Spur Economic Development in Partnership with Pennsylvania’s Higher Education Institutions

By ONORATO FOR GOVERNOR

PITTSBURGH: Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato announced his plan to stimulate Pennsylvania’s economy and create good new jobs in partnership with the state’s institutions of higher education at an event at the Community College of Allegheny County. In the plan, Onorato, who has won acclaim for focusing on job creation as Allegheny County Executive, also focused on ensuring that Pennsylvanians have the education and training they need for well-paying, high-growth jobs

“Now more than ever, access to higher education is essential to the economic security of Pennsylvania families,” said Onorato today. “Not only do businesses need access to an able workforce, but it is clear those with higher education are likely to earn more and be less likely to lose their jobs in a downturn. It’s time to commit to working with our many higher education institutions to stimulate job creation and prepare our workforce for the next generation of jobs.”

As Governor, Dan Onorato will get Pennsylvanians back to work in jobs with solid wages, prepare the next-generation workforce for the economy that awaits them and improve the Commonwealth’s capacity to leverage the power of higher education institutions to spur new inventions. To achieve these goals, Onorato will:

Improve the ability of colleges and universities to be engines of economic recovery and long-term economic growth;
Enable more Pennsylvanians to get well-paying jobs in the high-skills economy by increasing the number of degrees awarded to the state’s residents by 25,700 over the next 4 years – a 6% increase; and
Increase Pennsylvania’s competitiveness with a focus on high-demand and emerging sectors of the economy.
Onorato’s record of economic development success as Executive of Pennsylvania’s second-largest county was forged in close partnership with the region’s colleges and universities and as Governor, he will build on that record to:

Creating new jobs in emerging sectors of the economy by increasing federal research grants. Onorato will set a target to establish a $25 million per year competitive funding pool within four years to serve as a match for federal research grants, with a focus on energy, technology and health care.
Increasing the number and scope of Keystone Innovation Zone Starter Kits. Onorato supports this initiative to help colleges and universities attract top faculty researchers in fields like nanotechnology and energy – which leads to new products and economic opportunity.
Providing state capital funding to increase research and academic capacity. Onorato will ensure that colleges and universities have access to state capital funding – a strategy that creates immediate construction jobs while boosting the long-term impact of these institutions.
Creating and protecting jobs by encouraging industry-sponsored research. Onorato will set a target to establish a $25 million per year competitive funding pool within four years to serve as a match for industry-sponsored research at public and private Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
Strengthening entrepreneurship at research institutions. Onorato will create the “Pennsylvania 100″: 100 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence in the most promising research labs in the Commonwealth, with the aim of doubling the number of university-based start-ups in Pennsylvania.
Increasing support for Ben Franklin Partners and the Greenhouses. These organizations have been essential partners of state government in working with new start-up businesses in critical sectors of the economy, and Onorato supports their growth.
Encouraging university spin-offs by supporting access to capital. Onorato will work with the higher education and business communities to ensure that the Small Business First loan program meets the working capital needs of start-ups and early stage companies being created as spin-offs from colleges and universities.
Supporting the growth of new companies through the Research & Development Tax Credit. Onorato supports restoration of the temporary cuts to the Research & Development Tax Credit that were enacted as part of the FY2009-10 budget, if possible based on economic conditions.
“One of the chief challenges facing Pennsylvania is actually a challenge facing our families: the high cost of higher education,” continued Onorato. “Pennsylvania faces significant challenges of access and affordability in achieving the education levels that Commonwealth residents need for economic success. As Governor, I will focus on helping more families afford the education they – and we – need them to have.”

Pennsylvania received an “F” for college affordability on the most recent National Report Card on Higher Education, and a report released just last week revealed that students graduate from Pennsylvania colleges and universities with the seventh highest level of debt in the nation. As Governor, Onorato will make college more affordable for all students and increase access to education in high-demand jobs by:

Making sure that every family can afford college – without crushing levels of debt. Onorato’s goal is that within four years the maximum PHEEA grant will fully cover the cost of tuition at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education for the families with the greatest financial need, while still being able to be used at any community college, state-related university or private college or university.
Reforming PHEAA so that more money is available for student grants. While PHEAA has made some improvements after years of well-chronicled abuse of taxpayer dollars, Onorato believes that permanent reform is essential to bring accountability and transparency to the agency so that every available dollar is being used for one purpose: making college more affordable for Pennsylvania students.
Increasing the number of students being trained for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) professions. Onorato will bring down the cost of pursuing engineering and other specialized math and science programs at the state-related universities, he will provide financial incentives for the State System of Higher Education to increase its capacity in high-growth industries, and he will improve and increase scholarships for students at private universities and other institutions seeking high-tech jobs who agree to work in Pennsylvania after graduation.
Helping adults who are trying to earn their degrees. One and a half million Pennsylvania adults have earned some college credit but did not complete a degree, and many more entered the workforce immediately after high school without the opportunity to pursue higher education. Onorato will double the percent of adults with only a high school diploma who are pursuing college degrees: from 3.8% to 7.6% of working-age Pennsylvanians.
Increasing rural access to workforce certification and associated degree programs. A recent national report found that all or parts of 29 Pennsylvania counties have “critical” or “most critical” education needs. In many of these counties, there is no community college or affordable 2-year alternative for students to turn to. Onorato will create affordable satellite community college campuses in rural and other under-served areas – including through the use of online courses, distance learning and blended programs – with the goal of having a community college or equivalent educational opportunity within a one-hour drive of as many Pennsylvanians as possible.
“Given the world-class institutions of higher learning we have in Pennsylvania, it would be unacceptable to not use these fantastic intellectual and economic resources to generate good new jobs for Pennsylvania’s families,” closed Onorato. “In this economic downturn, it’s time to make the changes we need to put our families back to work.”

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