[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 25, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2028-E2029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 25, 1995

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, October 25, 1995, into the Congressional Record.

                    Investing in a Skilled Workforce

       As business technology has become more complex and the 
     world economy more competitive, the strength of the American 
     economy increasingly depends on the skills and training of 
     our workforce. A strong back and the patience to do the same 
     task over and over, day after day, is no longer enough to 
     command a well-paid and secure job. Today's good jobs, 
     including many factory jobs, require much more sophisticated 
     skills. Some skills are job-specific but many are more basic, 
     such as good math, communication, decisionmaking, and 
     teamwork skills. People who develop these skills will be in 
     high demand by employers as we move into the 21st century; 
     people who don't will not.

[[Page E2029]]



                            southern indiana

       We have a good, hard-working labor force in southern 
     Indiana, and employers understand that. But the changes that 
     are taking place across the country are taking place here 
     too, and the education and skills required for good jobs in 
     the future will only increase.
       As I travel around the Ninth District, I meet many people 
     who would like to work but cannot find jobs. At the same 
     time, many employers tell me they have openings for good-
     paying jobs but cannot find people with the right skills. We 
     are seeing a growing mismatch between the skills many people 
     have and the skills employers need. This is a double tragedy. 
     People are frustrated by their inability to find work, while 
     firms are forced to put expansion plans on hold or to go 
     elsewhere to expand. That means the growth and development of 
     southern Indiana will be hurt and so will our living 
     standards.


                       Local Economic Development

       A few weeks ago, I held two roundtable discussions on the 
     subject of economic development in southern Indiana, one in 
     Batesville and one in Corydon. Both featured representatives 
     from various sectors of the economy, including local 
     businesses (both large and small), economic development 
     officials, university researchers, school officials, and 
     farmers.
       The participants raised many important issues--including 
     the quality of local infrastructure, the burden of government 
     regulations, tax abatements to attract industry, the threat 
     of competition from foreign producers, and the high cost of 
     medical insurance.
       But I was particularly impressed by the fact that virtually 
     everyone brought up the need to improve the quality of 
     education and access to skill training in southern Indiana. 
     This one topic dominated, and many concerns were expressed. 
     One participant discussed the difficulties many working 
     parents face in contributing to their children's early 
     education. Others were concerned about the quality of 
     secondary school education in parts of southern Indiana and 
     insufficient higher education and vocational training 
     facilities. Many of the business representatives indicated 
     that the growth of their firms is being restrained because 
     trained, or even trainable, workers cannot be found to fill 
     the job openings. One participant said that he had not hired 
     anyone from the local high school in seven years.
       Problems like these are not unique to southern Indiana. 
     They are occurring all around the country. Nationwide we hear 
     of companies having to screen thousands of applicants to find 
     only a few who are qualified, and of basic math and English 
     tests being routinely failed by applicants. Employers 
     complain that many recently-hired workers do not show up 
     ready to work, lack the capacity to learn, and frequently 
     quit after a few weeks.


                   Developing A Top Quality Workforce

       But we cannot use the widespread nature of this problem as 
     an excuse for not tackling it vigorously here at home. It is 
     clear that top priority needs to be given to developing a 
     highly skilled and educated workforce in southern Indiana. 
     This is especially crucial to the future prospects of today's 
     young people, who will be working in an increasingly 
     interconnected and competitive global economy. We need to 
     focus our attention on the skills workers will need in the 
     21st century. They will need to know how to use computers to 
     gather and process information. They will need to develop 
     good interpersonal skills and be able to work in teams. They 
     will need to understand how their own work fits into the work 
     around them, so they can contribute to solving problems.
       But even more important, workers in southern Indiana will 
     need to be proficient in the basic skills of reading, 
     writing, and math. Mastering the skills for a specific job 
     can no longer guarantee a lifetime of secure employment. 
     Without these basic skills, the other skills will be of 
     little value. The important thing is that the education 
     system in southern Indiana must produce people who will be 
     comfortable with a lifetime of learning. Workers will need to 
     be able to master new skills and adjust to new technologies 
     in an economy that will be characterized by constant and 
     unexpected change.


                            Combined Efforts

       The task of better preparing our workers for these 
     challenges falls on many of us. Parents need to impress upon 
     their young people the crucial importance of good education 
     and work skills. Local schools are giving more attention to 
     linking academic training with on-the-job work experience and 
     technology training at local community colleges. The State of 
     Indiana has several programs to help make the school-to-work 
     transition easier. The private sector has played a big role 
     in training and retraining the workforce, especially in 
     larger businesses.
       The federal government has a secondary, though important, 
     role. Congress is currently reforming federal job training 
     efforts--streamlining various programs and giving more 
     flexibility to the states. At the same time, House Speaker 
     Gingrich has proposed deep cuts in youth job training, 
     school-to-work transition programs, and vocational and adult 
     education. Certainly we need to balance the federal budget, 
     but making deep cuts in programs that would help upgrade the 
     work skills of our young people and brighten their economic 
     future does not make a lot of sense to me, especially at a 
     time when Speaker Gingrich wants to provide very expensive 
     tax breaks to the wealthy.
       One of the best investments we can make is in the skills of 
     our workers. It means improved quality of life, higher 
     productivity and living standards, stronger economic growth, 
     better communities, and a brighter future for our young 
     people. Helping to provide a better trained workforce just 
     makes good sense.

                          ____________________