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Republican gubernatorial challenger Chris Christie's plan to try to improve higher education in New Jersey calls for halting the state's student brain drain, linking education to jobs and ensuring there are quality teachers.

Christie and his running mate for lieutenant governor Sheriff Kim Guadagno, announced the plan Tuesday at a forum at the College of New Jersey in Ewing where they were joined by former Gov. Thomas Kean, a former president of Drew University.

Christie is calling the plan, "Stopping The Brain Drain: Connecting Higher Education With New Industry.''

"In order to invest in our state's economic future, we must complete the missing connection between higher education and New Jersey's up-and-coming industries," Christie said. "Our plan will rework the opportunities our higher learning institutions are able to provide so they not only offer a quality education, but prepare and encourage New Jersey's young and unemployed to lay roots in our state."

The plan focuses on New Jersey's long-term economic viability by attempting to provide a pathway for all students to have high-quality jobs here in our state following the completion of their studies. The plan would attempt to give students and workers the skills and opportunities needed to be competitive in emerging industries.

Christie did not say what the plan would cost or from where the money would come.

"By focusing on affordability, targeted job skillsets, quality education, and keeping New Jersey students in the state, we will ensure economic growth, job creation, and that our best and brightest take ownership of New Jersey's economic future,'' Christie said.

"New Jersey is no longer a place where graduating high school seniors choose to pursue a higher education degree,'' he said. "And once they leave the state to finish their education, they don't come back, ultimately establishing a career in another state.  New Jersey is ranked dead last in retention of students staying here in New Jersey to attend college and has the highest annual out-migration of high school graduates to attend college of any state in the country.

The brain drain starts as New Jersey's high school students begin to graduate and it doesn't stop,'' Christie said. "With just 6,000 students coming into New Jersey to attend college every year, there is a net annual loss of 29,000 college-bound students in the state. It's time to make New Jersey an attractive place for students to receive a quality higher education, whether it's a traditional four year school, community college or vocational program, that will give them the tools they need to pursue a quality career right here in New Jersey.''

Here are details of the Christie-Guadagno plan as the candidates describe it:

Hands on Approach To New Jersey's Higher Education System. Under a Christie-Guadagno administration, the governor will meet with all the state college, university and community college presidents on a regular basis. The governor will ensure our college presidents have a real seat at the table in Trenton.  Furthermore, the director of the state Commission on Higher Education will be the governor's advisor on higher education and will have seat at all cabinet meetings.

Reinstate The Higher Education Incentive Endowment Program. This innovative program provides state matching funds for endowment contributions of at least $1 million at a rate of 10 percent per year, helping to encourage and reward attainment of major private gifts. This program was zeroed out in 2006-07 despite being a valuable tool to spur private investment and help with tuition stabilization, scholarships, recruiting faculty and building new classroom and research facilities.  While we may not be able to reinstate these funds 100 percent in year one, we will commit to restore some of this funding during the first four years of a Christie-Guadagno Administration.

Create A New "Outstanding Scholars" Program. During the first four years of a Christie-Guadagno Administration, the "Outstanding Scholars" program will provide public and independent institutions of higher education with campus-based funding to recruit high achieving New Jersey students as measured by class rank and SAT scores.

Retaining New Jersey's Urban Minority Students. It is often noted that minority students in urban settings have a difficult time completing their higher education due to a series of factors, such as a lack of academic preparedness, poverty, campus climate and lack of access to transportation. Even with financial aid, these students are still more likely to drop out before graduating. Under a Christie-Guadagno Administration, we will look to ensure the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund specifically provides and expands the mentoring and tutoring component to provide each student personalized counsel and track their progress from the time they begin their higher education experience until graduation.

"Putting New Jersey Back to Work." As part of the New Jersey Partnership for Action, "Putting New Jersey Back to Work" will focus on worker retraining for unemployed New Jerseyans to connect them with businesses looking for a specific skill-set. "Putting New Jersey Back to Work" will connect community colleges with businesses needing to train new employees with a particular skill-set. While companies will finance the worker training, the New Jersey Partnership for Action will act as a one-stop shop to highlight the program, ensure accessibility and encourage connectivity.

Adding Two College Presidents To The "New Jersey Partnership For Action." With the addition of two college presidents to the New Jersey Partnership for Action, we will ensure that business in the state and the ones relocating to the state will have access to skilled workers in the appropriate fields. Additionally, higher education institutions will be able to identify where there are skill set shortages and alter curriculum and training to fill the gap. Our education plans needs to be tied in with our economic development plans in order to ensure New Jerseyans have the right skill sets for today's emerging industries.

Provide Grants For Public Four Year Institutions And Community Colleges For Renewable Energy Related Curriculum And Training. In keeping with the Christie-Guadagno commitment to making New Jersey the leader in renewable energy manufacturing, their Administration will provide grants specifically designed to ensure four year institutions and community colleges offer curriculum and training to prepare the New Jersey workforce for jobs in the wind and solar industry.

Innovative Teacher Training Education And Professional Development. In order to attract students to our higher education institutions, we need to have the best and brightest teachers. Challenge grants offered to colleges with existing teaching certification programs will lead to the development and implementation of innovative training and professional development programs.  With a better undergrad teacher training curricula, teachers will be better prepared for the classroom.

At the same forum, Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) charged that Christie’s position that he would refuse $74 million federal student aid is “reckless.’’

“While most New Jerseyans are struggling to make ends meet Christie would refuse $74 million in education aid that would help countless New Jerseyans attain higher education degrees,” Coutinho said. “The job market is increasingly becoming more competitive and Christie’s policies would be devastating to New Jersey’s young people and continuing students.  Christie’s partisan politics are unconscionable and would cost New Jersey students millions in aid.”

Coutinho said that on Fox News on May 18, Christie praised Republican governors who said they would turn down federal recovery aid, saying their refusal "makes sense.’’

"If they're going to put strings on that money that are going to tie your hands and make you expand programs and not be able to have the freedom of choice that people elected you for, then you shouldn’t take the money,” Christie said.

Coutinho praised Gov. Jon Corzine’s education record, which he said includes nearly $800 million more in tuition aid grants for low- and middle-income students since 2006.  The Assemblyman said an estimated 54,000 students have benefited from these grants during 2008-2009, which is almost an additional 5,000 more students since 2006.

Coutinho also said that Corzine has expanded the NJ STARS scholarship program from 930 participants in 2004 to nearly 6,400 during 2008-2009.  He said Corzine also increased other student aid by nearly $600,000 and capping tuition hikes at three percent.

“Now Christie is even pandering to New Jersey students, making more hollow promises that he just can’t keep,” Coutinho said. “Sure Christie says he wants more spending on higher education, but he’s also calling for $3 billion in other new state spending at the same time as his proposed $4 billion in reckless tax cuts. He admits he’s never been good at math but it doesn’t take a degree in economics to realize his plan just doesn’t add up and will shortchange students and working families.”

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM