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Can the Partnership of Businesses with Schools Save the Future Ecomomy?

By Stephanie Cartier

If you want to see what’s in store for America’s economy, look to the schools. The next generation of business leaders is being educated today, and according to a recent federal report, the picture is pretty bleak.

It’s no secret that American students are slipping behind in math and science, which is especially dangerous in an increasingly global economy. In the past, American students competed at a local or regional level for jobs. Today, that model is gone, replaced with worldwide transactions and tough competition from students all over the globe. Jobs Americans have taken for granted are being outsourced to India, China and Brazil, where qualified people are willing to work for less. The jobs are increasingly professional and in fields such as engineering, accounting, science and medicine.

In response to a request by the U.S. Congress to determine how America can compete, Norman Augustine led the investigation and produced the report, The Gathering Storm. He recently spoke to the local division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) about the find-ings. “The outlook is not good. We’re under-investing in science; our K-12 educational system on average is performing very poorly. Our tax policies and so on are not conducive to innovation,” Augustine said, adding that new teachers must be trained and research budgets increased.

The one bright spot for New Mexico is that the state is a hub of innovation and research. A number of local businesses have recognized the need to partner with schools to develop a pipeline of capable, innovative workers who can help keep businesses in the state.

Dominique Wilson is a consultant at Sandia National Labs, and she is dedicated to cultivating the future work force. “If you want to ensure the perpetuity of your work force, and if you’re identifying critical skills or technologies that are emerging, you’re going to need to work with your schools,” Wilson said. She said companies can develop future employees by building relation-ships with students, exposing them to technology in a relevant and interesting way, and offering them opportunities to work either through college or through fellowships.

The New Mexico Optics Industry Association (NMOIA) partners with Albuquerque schools, starting in middle schools, to cultivate interest in math, science and technology, and follows up with career guidance. “Many of the careers that exist today didn’t exist five years ago, so a parent is hard-pressed to counsel a child as to what to do when the parent has no experience whatsoever with that career or wasn’t even aware of it,” said Ed Spivak, treasurer of the NMOIA and president of Spivak Associates, LLC.

Because many high-tech manufacturing jobs are being outsourced, Spivak believes the future for American students will be in cutting-edge technologies based in small businesses. “With that, I think New Mexico is ideally positioned, but it also means that we’ve got to get that message to today’s parents, so they can counsel the kids, and more importantly, to the kids hem-selves,” Spivak said.

One unique organization taking advantage of all the state has to offer is the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC). The pilot project in New Mexico works with incarcerated youth to expose them to high-level careers and help them obtain the necessary skills to succeed in meaningful, productive work. According to Nelson, keeping a youth incarcerated costs taxpayers between $200 and $300 per day—more expensive than a Harvard education. So matching students with mentors in the business community helps them to fuel the pipeline of educated workers. “It comes down to a hope and a future,” said Greg Nelson, programs director at the state’s Children, Youth and Family Division. “It’s made possible by a collaboration of businesses. Sandia Labs is supporting this MSSC program. And support doesn’t have to be dollars. Supporting is by and large through subject matter experts who can create partnerships and have the ability to bring us together.”

Wilson encourages more businesses to reach out to schools and develop relationships with teachers. It’s not only the right thing to do, but New Mexico’s future economy depends on it. “It’s not enough to be passionate about education. It’s not enough to say that something needs to change. It’s not enough to say the sky is falling. It’s not enough to say that we’re no longer competitive or that we’ve fallen behind what’s happening in other countries. It requires getting out, stepping up to the plate, becoming involved with a school or an internship program or a coop or a PTA,” said Wilson. “You have to do something besides harangue and say that things are wrong. Taking action will benefit you in the long run.”