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Study: Expand Voc-Tech Seats, Don’t Require Lottery- Based Admissions

/in , , , , /by Editorial Staff

Bottom line is that demand for career vocational-technical education outstrips the supply. BOSTON – State policy makers should address an underlying access problem by expanding the number of seats in Massachusetts vocational-technical high schools rather than changing the schools’ admissions policies, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.  “The commonwealth should expand vocational-technical education to satisfy the demand,” said  David Ferreira, who co-authored “Hands Off Voc-Techs’ Success: Lottery-based admissions proposal is a mistake” with William Donovan. “Changing to a lottery system would only  rearrange who gets left out.”   There were more than 54,300 Massachusetts students in vocational-technical programs during the 2022-23 school year, over 9,500 more than a decade ago. But thanks to strong academic performance, low dropout […]

Colonel Peter Hayden on U.S. Cyber Command & National Security

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff

General Counsel of U.S. Cyber Command, Colonel Pete Hayden, shares insights about growing up in western Massachusetts, attending law school, his military service, and emphasizes the legal aspects of his national security work. Col. Hayden discusses Cyber Command’s mission, distinguishing it from the NSA, while stressing the importance of defending the nation in cyberspace.

Losing Local Labor: Retaining Workers Remains a Massachusetts Challenge

/in , , /by Editorial Staff

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute’s Research Associate Aidan Enright about Pioneer’s annual report on the Massachusetts labor force and discuss which trends could portend trouble for the state’s future.

Outmigration and the Labor Force

/in , /by Eileen McAnneny

Boston University researchers just released new demographic and financial outmigration data that is cause for concern about recent trends in the Massachusetts labor force.  Among the key facts from the BU research are: In the last decade, annual net out migration has increased by a stunning 1,100 percent to 39,000 people.   There is a growing exodus of prime-age workers (24 to 54)  High wage earners are leaving Massachusetts, too. The incomes of over half of those leaving the state range from 1.3 to over 2.6 times the state average. Wealth and tax revenue collections are leaving with them. The report of Prof. Mark Williams and graduate students Yuhan Liu and Linglan Xu at the Questrom School of Business builds on […]

Study Finds Obstacles to Search for Opioid Substitute

/in , , /by Editorial Staff

Inflation Reduction Act price controls on the category of drugs that includes most non-opioid pain relievers reduce return on investment, disincentivize research funding BOSTON – By reducing return on investment for the category of drugs that includes most potential non-opioid pain relievers, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) creates a major disincentive to the development of therapies to combat the opioid epidemic that is ravaging the United States, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that pain medication research already has a higher attrition rate than research in other therapies.  A 2023 Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) study found that pain projects have only a o.7 percent probability of gaining FDA approval, compared […]