Even if Kansas can’t achieve the lofty goal suggested by the Kansas Board of Regents CEO Thursday, trying to increase the number of Kansans with associate’s degrees or higher is a worthy effort for the state.

At the board’s Thursday meeting, Regents President and CEO Reggie Robinson outlined some proposed higher education goals for the state. Among those was to put Kansas among the top 10 states in the nation in terms of people with at least an associate’s degree. As Robinson noted, the better-educated work force would help draw high-quality employers to the state.

Because we live in the home of Kansas University, we are well aware of the vital role major research universities have on the state’s economic well-being. We depend on university researchers to come up with big ideas that can feed business ventures. The success of those ventures, however, depends on businesses being able to tap into a trained workforce. Many of the jobs wouldn’t require university degrees but most would call for some additional training beyond a high school diploma.

This is where the state’s community colleges play a vital role. A number of community college programs already are geared to the needs of — and sometimes are subsidized by — particular local employers who need skilled workers.

Such programs benefit both businesses and workers. Obtaining a two-year associate’s degree is a much more manageable goal for many students especially if that degree improves their chances of getting a better job. As Robinson also pointed out, such degrees may be a good way to engage adult learners and minority groups in higher education.

There are so many “good” jobs that require a trained, motivated and responsible worker, but not a university degree. At a time when the nation’s population increasingly seems divided into the “haves” and “have-nots,” boosting the number of associate’s degrees in the state could allow many Kansans to move out of low-paying jobs and into jobs that would provide for a middle-class lifestyle.

That’s good not only for the individuals, but also for the state, which would reap the benefit from the increased productivity, as well as the tax contributions from more highly trained workers.