Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

The U. S. Department of Commerce estimates that 10 million jobs will be created that will require specific technical and career oriented skills. They also project that by doing nothing any different than we are currently doing in the educational arena here and elsewhere, only 4 million individuals will have the necessary skill sets and training to fill 10 million job openings that pay very well.

Eastern North Carolina could attract some of these jobs if we had citizens with the proper training. At the very least we could initially reduce our staggering unemployment rate by equipping potential workers with the skills necessary to seek those job openings wherever they may exist.

In a short time businesses would be interested in locating here because of what I and others are recommending we must consider doing to create a steady and predictable environment for job growth well into the future.

A Technical and Career oriented Charter School should be established for candidates of all ages to train for 21st Century jobs. The School would work with existing businesses at first using space within each enterprise to be set aside for those seeking to learn with no cost or liability to the business but giving those companies who participate in sharing space the first choice at those newly trained and ready to go individuals for their firms. In time as job needs become more clearly defined and as the state's financial picture begins to improve, a separate facility can be considered. Unemployment rates will decrease along with the demand for social services. In addition,high school dropout rates will decrease as more individuals determine for themselves that their aptitude may lean in a direction other than that of what a four year college degree would provide.

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