Our View: Region's colleges provide economic advantage

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September 6, 2010

The Salem News Mon Sep 06, 2010, 05:45 AM EDT

At the recent ceremony marking the opening of the new residence hall on Salem State's Central Campus, there were several comments about how the site was once home to a large light-bulb manufacturing plant.

Bustling factories like those owned by Sylvania, Parker Brothers, and A.C. Lawrence, are now long gone. But there's still opportunity here in fields like biotech, health care and the knowledge industry.

A story last week detailed the spike in enrollment local colleges, both public and private, have been experiencing. Indeed, one of the reasons Salem State is building new dorm space is that more students are coming from points all over Massachusetts and even out of state, to take advantage of the affordable degree programs it offers.

In turn, schools like Salem State, North Shore Community College, and Endicott College in Beverly are refocusing themselves to provide students with the specific knowledge and skills required to obtain a job in those fields where there is a demand for qualified employees.

This region may have lost its manufacturing base, but it is rich in medical facilities and institutions of higher education. Besides those already mentioned, the list of institutions of higher education includes Gordon College in Wenham, Montserrat in Beverly, and Marian Court in Swampscott.

Their presence adds immeasurably to the quality of life in the region. But as Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry noted at the Salem State ceremony, it's also increasingly important to the area's economic health as well.

Indeed, SSU's Central Campus — the former Sylvania plant — has become a hub of entrepreneurship on the North Shore, serving as host to the Bertolon School of Business, The Enterprise Center and the North Shore Economic Development Alliance.

Increasingly, a high-school degree will no longer provide access to fulfilling and good-paying jobs. There's great promise in the fact that this region has a host of institutions ready and able to meet the demand for the advanced degrees and training many are seeking today.

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