In his last decision to undermine university funding, the Trump administration seeks to reduce the … More
Only a few days after pronouncing his address of 100 days at Macomb Community College In Warren, Michigan, President Donald Trump released A budgetary proposal that would reduce funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in more than half. It is STEM education financing would be reduced by 75%. For 75 years, the agency has played an essential role in financing the training of STEM labor in American community colleges – just like Macomb.
Even if President Trump campaigned on supporting Americans economically and says that he wants to stimulate our Technological leadershipThe administration proposes to weaken one of the few avenues to continue the American dream through the jobs of the future.
Community colleges provide identification information that Americans can actually afford, often with high return on investment – including significant salary improvements. The financing of the NSF supports vocational training in community colleges in one of the key sectors of the global economy: STEM, in particular qualified technical workforce, which requires more education than a secondary school diploma but not necessarily a degree of four years.
More than half of the 37 million American STEM workers are qualified technical workers who feed our manufacturing, health care and aerospace industries and are also a foundation of the American middle class. These workers earn more than their counterparts in non-ready areas, even when you take into account education levels.
In addition, community colleges are about to direct one of the urgent technological questions of our time: artificial intelligence. NSF funding has enabled community colleges to Create precious AI education programs. Registration at Miami Dade College AI programFor example, is already booming. Research we did to New America Including interviews with students from Miami Dade has shown that these AI offers are not only precious for our young people, but also to millions of working adultsIncluding those who hold a baccalaureate, who return to community college to acquire practical skills and aligned on industry.
Under another NSF subsidy, Miami Dade has teamed Houston Community College in Texas and the Maricopa Community College District in Arizona to launch a National consortium for AI scale In the country’s community colleges, working alongside the main employers like Microsoft and Google. Why put these Essential training opportunities – And the students and employers who depend on them – at risk?
Biotechnology is Another emerging technological priority For President Trump and Congress, it would be kneconds by the proposed NSF cuts. Last month, the National Congressal Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, chaired by Senator Todd Young (R-in), published a historical report exhoring that the United States will take action over the next three years to reaffirm its world leadership and that we Strengthen investments in biotechnological labor education For the health of our citizens, our economy and our soldiers.
The NSF led innovation in Biotechnology through community colleges for decades. Since its creation in 1992, its Advanced technological education The program has invested more than $ 1.5 billion in more than half of the country’s more than 1,200 community colleges, supporting training in automotive technology, cybersecurity innovation, textile innovation, regenerative medicine, semiconductor and beyond. When I joined Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Tech Community Collegeon Capitol Hill this year to discuss NSF funds for community college paths For the emerging industries, she clearly indicated that the impact of the biotechnology of her institution “would not be possible without funding of the NSF”.
There is no substitute for these resources – not philanthropy, industry or states. In fact, financing the NSF is often considered a seal of approval necessary to convince other donors to make an investment. In the past year, the NSF has made pioneering co-investments in the education of STEM workforce with large companies, notably Intel, Micron and Globalfoundries.
Last fall, my own organization joined the NSF to launch A 3 million dollars program Supported by philanthropy to strengthen the training of community colleges in emerging technologies concerning the regional subsidies of NSF innovation engines. Written as part of chips and science act, NSF engines are the widest investment in economic growth based on the place and focused on technology Since the Morrill law has created universities of land concession at the height of the civil war.
Skeptics can say that community colleges can request funding from other federal agencies. But New America Tracks and studies Many of these potential sources and their structure, budget and financing rules do not allow the same support for advanced technological education in community colleges. After all, the NSF is the agency billed by the law to “advance all areas of science and engineering”, including undergraduate studies and higher cycles, and it has an unequaled history in this pursuit.
Since Trump took office, Silicon Valley capitalists,, leading economists,, politicianstechnological executives such as President of Microsoft Brad SmithAnd Local Chambers of Commerce Managers warned that NSF’s discounts would harm the leaders of American AI, national security, startups and economic growth. Adding to this list is our qualified technical workforce and community colleges that prepare them for good jobs today and tomorrow.
The preservation of the NSF and its budget should be an obvious and non -partisan priority. The future of the country seems darker without it.