The Salina job market was a different animal a few years ago. A number of employers held off expansion plans because they could not find enough skilled labor. The Journal carried three pages of help-wanted ads. Companies decided to locate elsewhere because officials doubted they could find adequate numbers of qualified workers.

The recession has changed that picture dramatically. A slowdown in business means fewer people are needed in manufacturing. Layoffs mean open positions are rapidly filled with experienced workers.

But what happens when the economy begins a full-speed recovery?

Local employers will be back battling a shrinking pool of available employees and delaying expansion plans. Prospective employers will go elsewhere to find enough workers.

That reality was one of the topics at Tuesday's meeting of the Business and Industry Roundtable, which included: Jill Docking, board chairwoman of the Kansas Board of Regents; Regents president and CEO Reginald Robinson, a Salina native; owners and managers of local businesses; and chamber of commerce and education officials.

To keep our workers and students in the area, our education system must provide specialized training to fit local needs. Salina has the capacity and infrastructure to provide that employment preparation with good public and private schools, Kansas State University at Salina, Kansas Wesleyan University, Brown Mackie College and Salina Area Technical College.

What's needed is money to fund existing and new programs. It's a cruel irony that while demand for education is growing, dollars for education are dropping at all levels. In Tuesday's meeting, Robinson pointed out that the state's university and college system is working with a budget that is roughly the same as 2006. State funding for public kindergarten through high school education is getting the squeeze, also.

Somehow, education funding must be found. Without a skilled labor force, then Salina won't be able to attract high-paying jobs. Without those opportunities our young people will leave, taking a piece of Salina's future with them.

-- Tom Bell

Editor & Publisher

822-1491

tbell@salina.com

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Former Beechcrafter Proud Union Member! says....
Well it always amazes me how we can find excuses after the fact as to why we do not have more higher paying manufacturing jobs here.I recall those times referred to by Mr. Bell however I seem to recall most of those jobs he mentions where not the caliber of the jobs we see heading south today, yes the pages were indeed full of places looking for workers, what was needed then is for those places to put their ads in more papers around the area to bring more of the skilled workers to Salina and since those jobs did not pay as well as jobs outside of Salina no one was interested in coming to Salina. You can educate all the people you want but there has to be jobs here for them after they are educated and at this point Salina does not have nor will they ever have the jobs it takes to thrive. Look at our Census records for the last 50 years compared to some other cities in the area, no major growth. Good luck with the education ideas.
10/29/2009

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says....
You can thank the state GOP for cutting education funding!
10/29/2009

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