HOWLAND Policy expert: Education is vital

Herman Maass and Jim Graham were honored with the Champion in Education Award.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
HOWLAND -- To compete in the 21st century's global, technologically-based economy, the United States must produce a better-educated, highly-trained work force, a public policy expert told a gathering of 350 local business, government, labor and education leaders this morning.
"It is a different world our kids are growing up in," said Dr. Theodore Hershberg, professor of public policy and history at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hershberg spoke at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber's Education Summit at the Avalon Inn.
Honorees: At the event, the chamber gave its Champion of Education Award to Herman Maass, plant manager of GM's Lordstown Assembly plant, and Jim Graham, president of Local 1112 of the United Auto Workers.
"The new economy is driving many things, but the one thing it's driving the most is a need for a higher level of education in all communities," Maass said.
Maass also encouraged local school districts and teachers unions to work together to avoid teacher strikes.
"We're still poking ourselves in the eyes," Maass said.
Hershberg told the standing-room-only crowd that a recent study by the American Management Association showed that the portion of job applicants lacking entry-level skills increased from 19 percent to 38 percent between 1996 and 1999.
"This is not because our schools are graduating dumber kids but because the new economy is changing so quickly," Hershberg said.
Hershberg said the new economy is going to require workers who can use technology, solve problems and learn on their own throughout their lives.
Chamber chief: Gary Roberts, chairman of the chamber's board of directors and president of Metropolitan National Bank, said improving education in the Mahoning Valley is a big job.
"It's too big for any one segment of the community to do it by itself and too important for any segment of the community to sit on the sidelines," Roberts said.