State education commissioner invites LSCO president to speak at higher education conference

At the request of Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Harrison Keller, Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) President Dr. Thomas Johnson spoke on a panel at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Leadership Conference in Austin on Dec. 2.

Johnson addressed “Higher Education’s Role in Addressing Workforce Needs and Driving the Economy,” and spoke of the importance of a two-year college education in providing a bridge to a brighter future for many who are looking to become employed or to re-enter the workforce.

“I sit on our Economic Development Council in Orange County, and we’re trying to figure out what it is that the manufacturers and industry members need – and we listen. For too long we focused on how many credits we can get in instead of what skills that industry is demanding,” said Johnson.

Johnson shared his strategy of “giving students small wins,” especially students whose family members have never been to college, in order to help them build confidence in their ability to continue and complete college.

“If we can get someone in Southeast Texas to learn how to operate a forklift, then maybe we can get them to earn a certificate, all which lead to marketable skills for the local economy. We have to meet students where they are,” Johnson added. “I believe micro-credentials are the way, particularly for first-generation students like myself, because they need that win. Small wins along the way are the difference between a person feeling a sense of worth and not. They then know that they can ‘do’ college, and we can build upon that. If we only say that you need to get a degree, we’re not doing them a favor, nor are we doing industry a favor.”

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Leadership Conference is an annual gathering that allows participants to engage with higher education leaders and business and industry stakeholders across an array of important topics. For new college system regents and trustees, the conference also provides required training on important topics including ethics, governance, budgeting and financial management.