We've been listening closely to the candidates for the state Legislature talk about economic issues, and we're hearing some different things this time around when it comes to education and job creation.
Oh, they all pay lip service to things like cutting taxes to be more competitive in recruiting new business. And, they all pay verbal homage to the idea that government needs to get out of the way and let businesses flourish.
What’s the point: Local schools and businesses need to adapt their training methods to match the jobs of the future.
What's different is a new-found emphasis on technical training to match workers with the kinds of jobs that (we hope) will be out there in the future.
Not long ago, political candidates talked about getting kids through college so that they can fill higher paying jobs and spur the economy. Technical and vocational education were often left out of the conversation.
Not so much now, and that's a good thing. Don't get us wrong: increasing the percentage of Arkansas residents with college degrees is a critical piece of building a strong economy in this state. That's been a tent pole issue for Gov. Mike Beebe, and he's right to emphasize it.
We all know, however, that not everyone can (or should) go to college. The problem is, many of the good jobs that use to await non-college bound students aren't available any more. The number of industrial and manufacturing jobs in the U.S. is shrinking and has been for years -- and that includes Northwest Arkansas. In the Rogers area alone, 2,200 manufacturing jobs have disappeared in the last decade. Of course, jobs in other economic sectors have grown locally, but the skill sets required for those jobs don't often align with those folks who would normally be working in manufacturing.
Many assume the loss of jobs has to do with manufacturers sending jobs overseas. There's another factor, too. Manufacturing has become more automated and technically sophisticated, meaning that more products can be made and marketed with less labor. That's good for a company's bottom line, but not so good for a worker without a broader set of job skills.
The good news is local businesses and educational institutions are trying to close the gap by providing training and educational opportunities in the areas where a new generation of jobs will come.
That means more emphasis in disciplines like math, science, technology, even engineering for members of the workforce, even those who don't have college in their plans.
Northwest Arkansas' academic communities are adapting to the demands of changes in the economy, but the work isn't close to done. Likewise, the business community and the political class see the value in training workers for the jobs sectors that are growing rather than shrinking.
A story in last Sunday's paper outlined a lot of those efforts and reasons for them, taking special note of those technological and scientific skills that will be required going forward.
We were also pleased to see one of the experts we quoted, Teresa Whitmire of NorthWest Arkansas Community College, talk about the need to develop communication skills at the same time we're focusing on more technical pursuits.
"Workers need to be able to effectively communicate not only with management, but with other employees," she said.
Reading comprehension and writing clarity will be invaluable to a worker in a more technical work environment. Whether you're an MBA holder in management or a trainee on the factory floor, you can't meet your collective goals unless everyone knows what they are.
Commentary on 04/26/2014