City sees educational influx

Schools for professionals part of plan for more economic diversity

Higher education opportunities are multiplying in Henderson and that's just the way city planners like it. Long before cultivating post high school educational opportunities found its way on a laminated list of city goals in City Hall, planners laid the groundwork to attract schools such as the Nevada College of Pharmacy, ITT Technical Institute, the Art Institute of Las Vegas and DeVry University -- not to mention Nevada State College.

City planners have been working on attracting economically diversified opportunities to Henderson, from plastic factories to research companies to educational facilities, in the hopes of making the place to call home more than just a bedroom community of commuting gaming employees.

In November, Bristol Ellington, assistant director of the community development department, said preliminary public surveys discussing amending the city's comprehensive plan showed that Henderson citizens have an appetite to do more than just sleep at home -- they want to work and play there as well. Residents want a balanced community, he said.

To diversify an economy takes more than just luring potential businesses to the city. It takes the right climate, so to speak, considering factors such as rooftop numbers, transportation systems and the educational level of the potential workforce. Enter the growing number of educational opportunities in Henderson's borders, which become a twofold boon for the city -- creating jobs and creating more degree-holding residents.

The city's Economic Development Division has a marketing and recruiting plan centered around encouraging and bringing more educational opportunities to Henderson. In fact, education was identified as a key industry target by an outside consulting firm hired by the city. Bob Cooper, who heads the division, was unavailable for comment by press time.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing education-related data, about 79 percent of adults ages 25 and older who have a minimum of a bachelor's degree participated in the labor force in 2001. In the same year's time, 64 percent of people who had only completed high school were in the labor force.

When it comes to education, Henderson demographics nearly mirror that of the rest of Clark County. According to city statistics, 34 percent of Henderson residents have some college education followed by 21 percent who have a college degree and 20 percent having only a high school diploma.

ITT was an early recruit to Henderson, lured to the southeast part of the valley by a mixture of demographics and relatively construction-free roadways unlike the northwest part of the valley. After six and half years, the site on Gibson Road is still the state's only ITT facility, one of a network of 30 nationally.

"ITT tries to keep their campus accessible to the students," Henderson director Donn Nimmer said.

Like other higher education facilities that have moved to town, ITT has had to modify its prototype to cater to a casino-driven economy. Most students decide to go after a degree after they've tried their luck working in a casino.

"Inevitably here in Las Vegas and Henderson everything is tied to the casinos," Nimmer said. "What's unique about this area is that it's a transient state. Students that come to Las Vegas are seeking something, so they go to school."

For ITT, like other higher educational venues of the same ilk, a student's average age is around 23 and they seek classes either in the morning or at night. What makes Southern Nevada different from the rest is that many schools say they could offer late-night classes after the usual 10 or 11 p.m. ending time and fill them, thanks to the 24-hour schedules many locals keep.

"I have no doubt we could do a session after that," Nimmer said.

Just like ITT, DeVry University opened its first Nevada campus in Henderson. One of the newest kids on the block, the school opened last fall and moved to its permanent site, on Paseo Verde Parkway, earlier this year. Not surprising, one of the qualities that put Henderson above other Southern Nevada sites was its access to the freeway system.

"We believe there is a strong demand in Nevada for programs that offer convenience," said George Fisher, vice president of expansion planning for DeVry.

In fact, many of the city's higher education facilities dot the southeast freeway landscape. Nevada State College and the Community College of Southern Nevada and ITT occupy the south U.S. Highway 95 flank, while the Art Institute of Las Vegas, Regis University, DeVry and the brand new Las Vegas College site on Stephanie Street have easy Interstate 215 access.

They are not all near the freeway, however. The two-month-old Nevada College of Pharmacy campus on Sunset Way is farther from freeways than most. With the exception of NSC, it was one of the only recipients of a persistent sell by City Hall. The college started out in downtown Henderson as a potential anchor of a proposed redevelopment project on Water Street. After funding fell through, it moved out of Henderson to an Eastern Avenue site. After much wooing, it returned to Henderson in November.

"We worked so hard to keep it in Henderson," Mayor Jim Gibson said in April when the relocation back to Henderson was announced. "We hoped and we planned and we expected to keep it in Henderson. ... We've worked really hard on that education piece (in Henderson)."


<<--[back]