Lowe In The News

EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS ARE WAY TO FUTURE JOBS
The Jackson Sun
April 14, 2009

Sen. Lowe Finney, D-Jackson, has the best interests of Tennessee's high school students at heart with his latest legislation. It should be passed by both houses and signed into law by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Finney's latest legislative initiative, Senate Bill 1084, requires a study of cooperative career and technical programs between high schools and the state's technology centers or other two-year institutions. The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday.

There are already cooperative programs involving high schools, technology centers and two-year schools. The problem is, only 10 percent of Tennessee high schoolers statewide are participating. The idea behind this legislation is to make it easier for more students to take part.

Finney is right to be concerned about the number of students receiving advanced technology training. Consider the Haywood County megasite, the state's No. 1 megasite. If the money comes through as expected to complete the site, the next task will be to make sure we have an educated workforce able to step into the high-tech jobs this megasite will bring. Right now, with only 10 percent of high schoolers statewide participating in advanced technical training, that workforce needs additional training.

Increasing the amount of technical education available to high schoolers isn't just about the Haywood County site, though. As Finney correctly pointed out, "Advanced technology training pays big dividends, both academicallly and economically." Academically, it pays because it prepares students to step into high-tech jobs that are the future. Economically, it pays because it makes an area or region more attractive to industries such as Volkswagen to locate there.

Finney is right to be concerned about educating the workforce of tomorrow. The study he is proposing would be a positive step toward making sure our schools are ready to meet the need.