Mankato’s signs of growth may be most prevalent in places least visible: the hundreds of classrooms in the various educational institutions located in the Mankato region.
Minnesota State University, Rasmussen College, South Central College, Gustavus Adolphus, Bethany Lutheran College — all contribute significant employment and payroll dollars to the region. A Progress 2009 report in Monday’s Free Press carried a number of stories detailing the growth of programs at various educational institutions.
In fact, educational services provided the nine- county Mankato region with about 9,100 employees and some $325 million in wages in 2007.
But these institutions provide even more benefit than the raw payroll dollars and jobs. As educational institutions, they are fairly stable employers. In fact, some of them actually grow during a recession, somewhat muting the affects of other more traditional private sector employers.
South Central College recently reported record enrollment with a credit count up 14 percent, and head count up 10 percent. That’s impressive growth in a “customer base” for any business.
But the educational institutions also bring value to the private sector in the region through the numerous partnerships they have in areas of worker-training, data-analysis and emerging technology of all sorts. SCC works with businesses on training the worker of the future with its Mechatronics program. MSU is preparing students for the challenges in every profession from school psychologist to renewable fuels engineers. Nursing and medical training is being offered by Rasmussen and others. Gustavus appears to have a highly developed service learning program so its graduates can be immediate contributors to helping solve societal problems.
We shouldn’t forget that these institutions also generate a kind of workforce that would be the envy of any region of similar size. Close to 30 percent of the population in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The asset of education in the Mankato area has been good for business. Blue Earth County has per capita retail sales of $17,421, far above the state average of $11,943.
Retail sales are over $1 billion annually. Education feeds not only the retail economy, but the farm economy and the manufacturing economy and the service economy.
While educational institutions will surely take their share of the hits in the down economy with public funding cuts, their core strength and existence in Mankato will be an asset for years despite the ups and downs of the business cycle.
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