STRICTLY BUSINESS: 'WORKFORCE 2020,' A SEQUEL TO 'WORKFORCE 2000'

Remember "Workforce 2000?"

The report, which presented a unique picture of the future, was prepared by William B. Johnson and Arnold H. Packer for the Hudson Institute in 1987. It became an instant hit and was used as a guide for many work force development professionals.

Now, the sequel, "Workforce 2020," looks into the 21st century and describes the terrain American labor must travel.

The latest work force report was prepared by Dr. Richard W. Judy and Carol D'Amico for the Hudson Institute.

"Workforce 2000," which forecast a healthy U.S. economy fueled by solid exports, growth in productivity and a strong world economy, also predicted a decrease in manufacturing employment due to greater productivity. It also predicted an older, more diverse and high-skilled labor force.

The report was uncanny in its accuracy and visionary in its solutions.

"Workforce 2020" again peers into the future and proposes some solutions to the labor force issues we might face in the next two decades.

Judy, the primary author, visited Missouri to discuss some of the ideas presented in the book and to explain his vision of the future work force.

"Dr. Judy cited `worker dearth' as one of the most pressing issues we face as we enter a new century," said Joseph L. Driskill, Missouri's director of the Department of Economic Development, which has the chore of addressing such issues as worker shortages and worker dearth through its work force development initiatives.

Judy defines worker dearth as having a limited worker pool with skills that do not meet the needs of employers.

And, Judy does not see this situation changing soon. He predicts that unemployment rates will continue to range between 3.5 and 6.5 percent.

This is good news for workers, but it limits the amount of potential employees for businesses.

Judy, in his report, says there won't be "skills gap" through the first few years of the new century, and the work force will grow slightly.

Meanwhile, in Missouri, the DED will work to provide training and education to allow people to attain skills needed to do the jobs in the new century.

Through a partnership with four other state agencies, DED is offering many employment services at one-stop career centers throughout the state, said Driskill.

These centers help keep job seekers, workers and employers from being shuffled form place to place to receive the customized assistance they need.

To integrate job services further, Gov. Mel Carnahan has called for many of the programs operated by the Division of Employment Security to be moved from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to a new division of the DED.

The new Division of Workforce Development will administer employment, placement, training and educational services.

"Missouri's highly productive labor force is our top asset in economic development," said Driskill. "By taking new approaches to work force development, we are preparing workers to meet the challenges of employment in the next century, which will keep our economy strong and growing.

The Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City areas receive some big benefits from the DED and its Job Development and Training Division, via grants for the SEMO Regional Industrial Training Group program with the Cape Girardeau Vocational Technical School.

Gil Kennon, associate dean of the Community and Workforce Development Division of Mineral Area College, has written the grants and has obtained funding for the worker training program conducted at the Vo-Tech school here.

The program has provided some big results for more than a dozen industries and companies that make up the SEMO group.

More than 175 area workers have training courses in the program. Last week, a group of 18 workers graduated from the program. A dozen of the graduates were graduates of mechanical training, and six were electronics graduates.

The members of the SEMO Training Council represent more than 5,000 employees.

The workers train in two Vo-Tech classrooms in Town Plaza Shopping Center.