The future of this country and its ability to be a leader in the global market is eroding quickly as our political leadership in Congress and the administration face off in a battle that is closing door after door of opportunity to job seekers and employers throughout this country.
Our education system today has many good points, however, when it is measured against countries all over the world, we have fallen from number one in math, science, and reading back in the 70’s to somewhere between 18 and 25th. Our decline is evident when the workforce board talks with employers who are seeking skilled workers to fill the positions they have open. The baby boomers are beginning to retire. As Dr. Ed Gordon spoke to our region back in June, he cites the fact that there will be 30 million fewer workers in the following generations of workers. As I have stated in my presentations to the county boards, rotaries and chambers we are reaching a time where every business will have difficulty in finding good employees. This will affect our economic wealth by lowering it, and every type of business and service will be affected and struggle to find good employees.
The Crossroads Workforce Investment Board serves a 14 county region in southeastern Illinois. We are embarking on collaborations with the community colleges and Eastern Illinois University. We are working with counties, economic developers and mayors to create incubator space for emerging businesses in our area. We are thinking about how we might better align the great educational opportunities in this area with the skill requirements of our business community. The CWIB is here to look at the big picture and collaborate with many regional partners to develop and create a bright future for this region.
But with the stalemate in Washington DC, and the decision to continue to fund the war for $200 billion but not even re-invest in our domestic programs at $22 billion that helps people find sustainable wages and good jobs, our national leadership is failing to grasp the seriousness of the era we are entering. Our economic future will require an ever changing and improving skill sets to stay employed. We need a creative mindset to bring the products and services of the future into reality. This region has the capability and knowledge base to create a new and bright future for our children and beyond. But we need to let our elected representatives know that the 14 county rural region needs a fair chance to access support to address those needs. We want to be about wealth creation in a sustainable way. Our future depends on our persistence and creativity to change what is not working and create what we need for future success. Voice your thoughts to your congress by going to www.Congress.org .
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