Preparing This Generation for Next Generation Jobs
People talk about bringing good paying, high-tech jobs to Vermont as I travel the state interviewing for the job of governor. It is an easy thing to support, but I have to ask, "What are we doing now to get Vermonters ready for these high-tech jobs?" There are a number of companies in Southeastern Vermont already providing high quality, good paying jobs. I met with some of them during a delightful day in the Bellows Falls area. The skills necessary for these jobs require a well-trained workforce. All the companies are happy and willing to supply the training but they need to start with people who have a strong background in math. A biotech company just announced that it wants to move to the Northeast Kingdom to build a state-of-the-art facility. This will mean about 200 high paying, high tech jobs. My question is, "What do we have to do to make sure that local folks can compete for those positions?" It is clear to me that we need to have the local technical center gear up immediately to work with the company to provide the basic education and skills to Vermont workers to prepare them for these jobs. Students need to understand in elementary school that math is really important and they need to see how it ties into so many things they might want to do later in life. As governor, I will work to develop a truly close working relationship between our schools and our business community. Many years ago, I worked with a federal program that was called School To Work. The purpose of the program was to help schools and businesses establish a closer working relationship, so schools would understand the kinds of skills that are necessary to succeed in the work place of today. Educators spent time in local businesses to understand the demands of the workplace and business people came into the schools to see the world of education. There were many great experiences, but the program did not last long enough to become a true part of the educational and workplace culture. One of the most memorable programs was with Cambridge Elementary School and the Technical Center Building trades program. Students from the technical center came to teach classes at the elementary school. The elementary students got tools their size and built projects in their classroom. They learned about angles, measuring and cutting, then went to the technical school at the end of the year and "worked" with the older students. Every student from the elementary school and the technical program had a parent in attendance at the open house. The energy, pride and fun were overwhelming. To see a 2nd grade girl talking to her parents about measuring and engineering was thrilling, and it needs to be the norm, not the exception. We need to make that happen for all Vermont students. We must make math and science real and interesting to young people and have them understand it is important to be proficient in these areas. We need a permanent culture shift so all teachers and schools deliver students not only proficient in math and science, but with a love for it. We have many teachers who do a great job at making learning fun and exciting and we need to support them. The world that young people will have to compete in is full of students from other countries that are far ahead in math and science. If we want our children to have a bright future, we need our educational system to get them ready for that world. As we examine the cost of education, we need to start by defining our goals, determine what we have to do by mandate, look at what that costs, and then determine what else we want our education to do. We only have so much money, but by defining our goals and giving our talented teachers the ability to innovate and share their results, we will deliver an education that prepares our children for the future. Our children deserve to graduate with the skills they need to succeed, whether they go on to college or go right into the work force.To get updates on the issues facing Vermont, and the hope we have for our future, join my email list.
Thank you for your support! Please contact me to visit your area to explore the challenges and successes in your part of Vermont, or just to talk.
Sincerely,
Susan Bartlett
Bartlett for Governor