TRAINING HELPS AREA WORKERS KEEP PACE

Whether we like it or not, the days of the one-factory town are gone, and with it the simple choice of whether to go to college or work in the mill like dad.

Job training and a solid workforce are essential to economic development.

As the country begins to participate in a global economy, America's labor market is becoming increasingly more specialized and technology-oriented. With that change comes the demand for a trained, versatile workforce.

Even factory jobs, once dependent solely upon physical labor, now require computer skills and mechanical know-how combined with muscle.

Before relocating to or expanding in an area, businesses look to see if the workforce can accommodate them.

To keep up with that demand a new approach to education, both of current workers and potential ones, is necessary.

No one is more aware of that than Harold Tilley, director of Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School.

"Years ago, students could walk out of high school and into a good-paying job," Tilley said.

High school graduates could get a good-paying job, but college graduates earned even more.

Tilley said the top-notch quality of instructors and the sophisticated material they teach has dramatically changed public perceptions about vocational schools.

Leaving nothing to chance, local business leaders serve on advisory committees at the school, which aligns curriculum to meet the needs of employers.

At one time there was a social stigma attached to people who attended vocational schools as perhaps settling for less.

That perception is rapidly changing, a fact reflected by the amount of money the state is willing to spend on vocational-technical education.

Gone is the greasy jeans notion of a vo-tech student.

Teen-age students, still hesitant about choosing vocational school over college, are often swayed by future salary possibilities.

"A prime example: One year after high school in our respiratory therapy program a graduate would make as much as a beginning teacher," Tilley said.

Bev Hickam, adult-education supervisor at the vocational school, explained how employers keep workers abreast of current technology.

One example is the Southeast Missouri Regional Industrial Training Group.

Comprised of 12 local industries with an employee base of 5,000-plus, the training group has developed its own curriculum to upgrade the skills of current employees, Hickam said.

The training group sponsors classes at the vocational school for employees to update their technological training.

The school also offers a nine-week program called Basic Industrial Technical Skills.

Hickam said that program is geared toward the "dislocated" worker or individual who wishes to enter the industrial setting.

The course teaches basic industrial skills necessary to work in local industry, and can easily be transferred into any industry, Hickam said.

Another tool the school provides is the Work Keys Job Profiling System developed by the American College Testing (ACT) company.

The Work Keys test provides a structured format which defines, measures and screens workplace skills common to a wide range of jobs, Hickam said.

It's a system which allows employers to screen and hire people with the skills to perform present and future jobs, she said.

Another program, the Cooperative Office Education program, allows high school students to attend classes for a half day and work the other half. Students are paid for work on the job and also receive school credit.

Barbara Lohr, who coordinates the program, said students are graded for the classes they attend and also receive grades from their supervisor on the job.

One side effect of the program is improved time-management skills. Students reported their grades improved after they started working, even with less free time to study.

Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association, said with the vocational school's help the area is keeping up with the times.

Robinson said the recruitment association concentrates on bringing in people who have the expertise to help employers train their own workers.

"The Cape-Jackson-Scott City area is in a good position," Robinson said.

Robinson said industry is constantly looking for highly trained technicians.

"You can't just find somebody off the street to do some of these jobs." Robinson said.