Bill could lead to new vocational school

An economic development bill would clear the way for a study that could lead to development of a post-secondary vocational school district or even possibly set the stage for development of a new community college in Southeast Missouri, the bill's proponents say.

State Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, was the main architect of Senate Bill 706.

Mayer said his goal is to provide more post-secondary vocational training to meet the needs of Bootheel employers. That training, he said, should provide asssistance for displaced workers and also include more high-tech training in the use of lasers and other technology.

Bootheel vocational schools largely have focused on educating high school students, not adult workers, Mayer said.

"Right now we are just in the planning stages," said Mayer, who wants to see more post-secondary technical training like that offered at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Other proponents say the study might lead to formation of a new community college.

Supporters of the bill say the legislation is just a starting point.

Gov. Matt Blunt is expected to sign the bill. If that happens, the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the University of Missouri are expected to conduct a feasibility study to identify the educational and job training needs of Southeast Missouri and how best to meet those needs.

Mayer's bill initially focused on providing more technical training in the region of Butler, Stoddard, Wayne, Ripley, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Dunklin, Mississippi and Scott counties.

Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties were added thanks to the efforts of state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau.

Mayer said his focus is on economic development. "My thought was the way we are going to attract business and industry is to increase the skill level of our employees and citizen base," he said.

Steve McPheeters, superintendent of communications, training and development at the sprawling Noranda Aluminum plant in New Madrid County, said employers have found that many workers don't have basic math and reading comprehension skills. They also don't have the technical skills needed in manufacturing and service businesses, he said.

Those workers, he said, need post-secondary training. "If people can work and train and grow their job knowledge, then that is the ideal situation," McPheeters said.

Senate Bill 706 would allow Southeast Missouri residents to establish a post-secondary vocational school that could be funded by setting up a taxing district similar to a community college district.

But Mayer said he doubts voters in the region would support a tax. He said state funding could be key to creating a new technical school.

One possibility, said Mayer, is to develop a technical school like Linn State Technical College, Missouri's only two-year public technical college.

Another possibility, he said, is to develop a technology center such as the one in Mexico, Mo. That training center involves a partnership among Linn State, Moberly Area Community College and the University of Missouri Extension.

Dr. Robert Stein, Missouri's commissioner of higher education, has talked to state economic development officials about the proposed study.

Besides looking at job training needs, Stein said he wants the study to look at all of the higher education needs in the region.

Stein met with area business leaders and representatives of Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers Community College, Mineral Area College, the career and technology center and Southeast Missouri Hospital's nursing school May 18 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office.

Cape Girardeau businesswoman Kathy Swan, who chairs the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, also attended the meeting, along with the president of Linn State.

Stein said he listed seven possible options for more post-secondary programs in the region.

The options are:

• Open an advanced technology center based on the Mexico, Mo., model.
• Establish an outreach center of Southeast Missouri State University.
• Offer two-year programs under the supervision of Southeast Missouri State.
• Establish a new community college.
• Open a state technical college similar to Linn State.
• Create a vocational school district.
• Develop educational programs by setting up a partnership with existing educational institutions in the region.

Establishing a community college would require voter approval in the district to be served, Stein said.

Stein said the region's needs should dictate what steps are taken.

"I think the most important thing is to uncover what are the student and employer needs and let those needs drive the solutions," he said.

Officials at the various schools in the region must look at how to serve the public's needs rather than protect their turf, Stein said. "No institution has squatters' rights," he said.

Swan said she asked Stein to attend the meeting in Cape Girardeau to discuss work force and educational needs.

The possibility of creating a new community college has been discussed informally by some local residents in recent years, Swan said.

Swan said it might be more practical to develop a partnership with existing schools.

Crowell said he hopes the study could be completed in time for lawmakers to act in spring 2008 to address educational and job-training needs.

Any study, he said, should look at financial feasibility. "Does it make sense to dump a $50 million facility in this region or put a cooperative venture on the table?" he asked.

Rich Payne, director of the local career center, said the emphasis needs to be on technical training. "The key to post-secondary education in my opinion is affordability and accessibility," he said.

Payne said any educational partnership needs a central administrative office that post-high-school students and displaced workers could contact to inquire about and enroll in programs.

For a 50-year-old worker who has lost his job, the prospect of going back to school can be scary, Payne said. Getting those workers to enroll in classes requires one-stop shopping, he said.

"It has got to be a smooth transition," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123