In March, COG Executive Director Chuck Bean was a guest on CBS DC’s "Washington Report," where he discussed the importance of the region’s human capital to its current and future economic success. 

COG’s State of the Region: Human Capital Report notes that the region has the highest level of educational achievement in the country, with almost half (49 percent) of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. According to Bean, the region needs to harness strengths like this and ensure that more residents are prepared for the 1.1 million jobs that are forecast to become part of the region’s economy by 2045.   

There are a lot of federal government jobs in the region—approximately 364,000—but that is just 11 percent of area jobs, said Bean.

“I think a key message is that we need to diversify our economy, change faster, pivot off of the strengths of the federal government, and find new industries to work in,” he said. 

Listen to the full interview with "Washington Report" host Stevie Bridgwaters: 

MORE: COG report: region's 'human capital' is a key driver of economic growth