Gerry Dick Addresses Indiana's Economic Health(posted Sept 22) Gerry Dick, host of Inside Indiana Business, does not think that the sun is setting on Indiana's manufacturing business despite the negative picture that print media presents by writing about plant closings. "Manufacturing is dead is the farthest from the truth," he said at the Greater Speedway Chamber of Commerce September 20 meeting. Dick agreed that traditional manufacturing jobs are declining and that is partly responsible for the state's high housing foreclosure rate. He noted the shift in job growth is with advanced manufacturing jobs. Dick gave his summation of Indiana's economic health based on his 25 years experience of focusing on business news and a recent CEO survey that was conducted in a partnership with Butler University MBA Students and Professors. If anything, Indiana residents should be concerned with their lower health quality and less technical workforce acumen for the 21st century as a business detraction. CEOs are more concerned about Indiana's low ranking in education in the primary and secondary level than global competitiveness. An educated workforce is critical to Indiana's future economic growth. According to Dick, GM spends $800 more per employee on health care in Indiana than in other states. He said there is just as much economic development activity going on as there was in the 1980s due to Governor's Mitch Daniels aggressive approach. Daniels has made several trade mission visits to the far east to forge business relations that will lead to job growth in Indiana. "We are the only state to have two Toyota plants," he said. Dick also talked about the recent announcement of a Chrysler-Getrag joint venture plant at Tipton that will create 1,200 jobs. IUPUI's School of Engineering is the process of developing a relationship that would include reciprocal internship programs with the University in Germany, according to Terri Talbert-Hatch, Assistant Dean for Student Services for IUPUI School of Engineering. He noted that Indiana needs to become less resistive to change as these new life science jobs might not be creating the supply of jobs that were once required in the traditional manufacturing jobs. He also cited the resistance that Hoosiers had toward going toward day light savings times. There are still a few counties that remain on central time. He encouraged communities to work on a regional level to spur economic growth. He cited that motorsports is becoming a real industry for the state to focus on. For the last three years, IUPUI School of Engineering has hosted an open house to promote motor sports as a career. He complimented the Speedway Redevelopment Commission for their efforts to revitalize the town. Dick is observing that trend with many communities who have decided to to charter their own economic growth. In response to CEO's concerns of quality education, Speedway School Board member Bill Scott said Speedway Public Schools have not received any complaints from local manufacturers about Speedway not providing a sufficient educated workforce. He said that each school district is different in the state. He credited the success of Speedway's schools to the stability of the school board and the support of the community. The board has little turnover of its members including Scott's service of 18 years. "There is no personal agenda among school board members, just the interest of the students," he said. Speedway is one of a few school districts that has an appointed school board instead of an elected school board. Pumping money into school districts is not the cure all for solving all of its educational woes or raising the bar toward excellence. Scott contended that money is not as important as the involvement teachers have with students as well as parents and neighbors giving encouragement and support. |
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