AMERICAN WORKERS AND MANAGERS ARE ABSOLUTELY SMART ENOUGH TO COMPETE WITH ANY WORKFORCE IN THE WORLD. A MORE APPROPRIATE QUESTION IS, "ARE WE TRAINED AND PREPARED TO COMPETE?”
THE RESULTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL BATTLES OF THE FITTEST DURING THE PAST DECADE INDICATE SOME NEED FOR EVALUATION AND CHANGE. THE ULTIMATE POWER FOR COMPETING SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD IS KNOWLEDGE.
SINCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS IN IMPARTING AND DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE, HOW ARE WE DOING? ONLY TWO COMPETING COUNTRIES SPEND LESS PER CHILD ON EDUCATION THAN THE US. THOSE TWO COUNTRIES ARE IRELAND AND AUSTRALIA. PERHAPS THAT'S WHY WE ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THEM AS COMPETITORS. SIXTY FIVE PERCENT OF AMERICAN KIDS IN GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE READ BELOW THE LEVEL THEY SHOULD BE READING.
I RECENTLY ATTENDED THE NORTH AMERICAN DIE CASTING ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT FORUM IN CHICAGO. DR. EDWARD E. GORDON, PRESIDENT OF IMPERIAL CORPORATE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MADE A PROFOUND STATEMENT WORTHY OF THOUGHT AND RESPONSE. "WHATEVER AMERICA WILL BECOME MUST FIRST BE SHAPED IN THE MINDS OF AMERICA'S WORKER". HE ALSO SAID, "KEEP YOUR WORKERS IGNORANT AND YOU WILL LOSE MONEY".
WE SPEND FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON TRAINING. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON MANAGEMENT. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE TOTAL DOLLARS ARE SPENT BY THE TOP FIVE PERCENT OF COMPANIES. JAPAN SPENDS TWICE AS MUCH AS WE DO AND GERMANY SPENDS FOUR TIMES AS MUCH. THE U.S., OBVIOUSLY, IS DEVELOPING A WORKER LITERACY GAP DURING A TIM E WHEN EIGHTY PERCENT OF IT'S WORKERS WILL SOON NEED JUNIOR COLLEGE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY. WORKERS AND MANAGERS MUST BE TRAINED TO THINK TECHNICALLY.
DURING MY TRAVELS, I FREQUENTLY HEAR IT SAID THAT AMERICAN INDUSTRY HAS HIGH TECHED IT'S EQUIPMENT BUT HAS FAILED MISERABLY AT HIGH TECHING IT'S WORKFORCE. AS A CONSEQUENCE, APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PRODUCTIVITY ARE LOST EACH YEAR DUE TO THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. DURING THE YEARS 1982 THROUGHOUT 1993, FOUR MILL ION JOBS WERE ADDED BY THE FIVE HUNDRED LARGEST U.S. MANUFACTURERS. SEVENTY PER CENT OF THOSE JOBS WERE WHITE COLLAR. WE MUST HAVE "TECHIES".
IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY OUR WAY OF LIFE, OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM MUST BEGIN TO TEACH APPLIED READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC FOR INDUSTRY. KNOWLEDGE EQUALS PROFITS. STRONG PROFITS EQUAL HIGH STANDARDS OF LIVING. AS INDUSTRY BECOMES MORE TECHNICAL IN NATURE, WE AS AN INDUSTRIAL NATION ARE BEING TESTED.
WILL WE PASS THE TEST? MICHAEL R. CERVANTES, DIRECTOR OF ED UCATION FOR NADCA SAYS "THERE IS NO TIME LEFT FOR EVOLUTION! REVOLUTION IS THE ACTIVE WORD. SURVIVAL IS AT STAKE." EVERY ONE OF US WHO UNDERSTANDS THE REQUIREMENTS MUST BRING ALL POSSIBLE PRESSURES UPON THOSE WHO SET OUR EDUCATION POLICES AND CURRICULUM TO JOIN WITH THE TROOPS WHO ARE FIGHTING THIS WAR OF SURVIVAL. OUR NATION MUST, THROUGH ITS INDUSTRY LEADERS, LABOR LEADERS, AND EDUCATORS DEVELOP A TRAINING STRATEGY TO WIN.
DAN ROBLING 1997