Opinion Editorial

Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez
Opinion Editorial, Aspen Daily News
“Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today”

I am in Aspen this week to discuss an important issue of our time: Developing an American workforce ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities. When the Department of Commerce hosted the National Summit on American Competitiveness in May, the number one issue among business and community leaders was making sure the next generation of Americans have the skills they need to compete in a global economy.

While policies such as lower taxes, comprehensive immigration reform, and a results- oriented education system will help keep America the most competitive place to do business in the world, families and the private sector must do their parts to prepare America’s workforce. That means parents and students acting as consumers when making education choices, and businesses investing in their workforce. It means better aligning the untapped potential of our children with the skills they will need to develop and utilize the innovations that will drive our economy.

The fact is, it takes more education and different skill sets to compete today than a generation ago, a trend that is likely to continue. Consider this: In May, the unemployment rate for Americans without a high school diploma was 8.3 percent. For those with a high school diploma it was 5.2 percent, while for those with at least bachelor’s degree it was 2.2 percent. Without a high school degree, you’re likely to have a problem competing in today’s economy — and much more likely to be unemployed.

We live in a global economy; it reflects a triumph of a free market system over static and centralized governments. Now everyone is in the game — Russia, China, India and others. Innovations and lower barriers are making the world increasingly accessible. It is also a world where poverty is being reduced and global wealth is increasing.

This change has created challenges and opportunities for individuals and economies. While technology is a far larger factor in employment displacement (for example, the number of hours to produce a ton of steel decreased 90 percent over the past 30 years), global markets do create job gains and losses. This is why the Bush Administration is committed to working with Congress to reauthorize and improve Trade Adjustment Assistance to help American workers remain competitive. A large part of TAA is related to workforce development, retraining and education. This assistance should be designed so that those who have been dislocated due to trade can find a bright future for themselves and their families.

In addition to making sure all Americans have the skills, training and education they need to compete, we must have comprehensive immigration reform. A comprehensive approach to immigration will allow highly-skilled immigrants to add value to our economy, while low-skilled immigrants who work hard and want to contribute to our society can do so in a legal, humane and responsible way.

The fact is our nation’s population is not increasing fast enough to grow our economy the way we would like. It is therefore important that we develop our native workforce and welcome immigrants who want to be part of the long tradition of those who have come here to make ours the growing and vibrant nation it is.

All these factors — education and skill building, openness to trade and to people and improved Trade Adjustment Assistance — are part of the enormous and continuous challenge of developing the workforce our country needs. While there are no easy answers, there are important steps we can take now to keep our economy moving and our country growing.
Carlos M. Gutierrez is the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He is in Aspen participating in the Aspen Ideas Festival.