Presenters: DAVID WILSON, University of Wisconsin; ROYRICKERS COOK, Auburn University; WAYNE D. SMUTZ, Pennsylvania State University

      In some states, the demand for college-educated workers is growing faster than the supply. Policymakers worry that their states will lose jobs if they cannot build a qualified labor pool. The impending retirement of a highly educated baby boom generation has focused attention on the need to raise the educational attainment level of younger working adults, many of whom have “some college” but lack a baccalaureate degree. In response, public university extension and outreach units are delivering education to place bound working adults who want to qualify for knowledge economy jobs in health care, engineering, social work, computer science and other key occupational sectors. The panelists will discuss how their university extension and outreach units are collaborating with employers and policymakers to address current and future labor needs of their states.