OLYMPIA — Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, is sponsoring a bill to increase the capacity of colleges and universities to graduate more students with math- and science-related degrees.
A public hearing on Senate Bill 5731 was held Wednesday, Feb. 14, after The Enterprise deadline.
Only 14 percent of Washington’s students graduate with degrees in high-demand fields, according to Shin.
“So often I hear local companies tell me that they have to import workers to meet their business demands,” said Shin, who represents the 21st Legislative District.
“What are we doing wrong? How can we motivate more students to pursue math and science degrees? Who is willing to partner with us? Those are some of the questions that I hope my bill will address.”
SB 5731 would create a committee to study increasing student capacity in high-demand fields at Washington’s public institutions of higher learning. The committee would consist of legislative members and representatives from education organizations, including the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The committee would be charged with developing a plan to annually educate 10,000 students in high-demand fields by 2020, investigate ways to attract students in high-demand areas and identify ways to create partnerships with the business community.
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