Southern governors want flexibility to use federal dollars to train workers - and like the idea of using their community colleges to produce much of that training, they said Saturday at their annual conference.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Southern governors want flexibility to use federal dollars to train workers - and like the idea of using their community colleges to produce much of that training, they said Saturday at their annual conference.
"Innovation demands flexibility," U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao told governors and their staffs Saturday at the annual Southern Governors Association conference at The Greenbrier resort.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist answers a question during a news conference Saturday. Crist was joined at the meeting by (from left) Virgin Islands Gov. John de Jongh Jr., West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Kentucky Gov. Steve Breshear and Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt.
But that flexibility often doesn't exist, some governors said.
"A lot of folks on disability are on Medicaid," Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said. But when they are able to get jobs in the private sector, they lose those Medicaid benefits. Instead, they remain "under-employed" in order to continue to receive the health benefits, he said.
He asked Chao about finding Medicaid policies that will allow federal health benefits for such people.
The secretary noted her department has little input with those who operate the Medicaid program. "It would be wonderful if we had departments that actually coordinated with each other," she said.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, chairman of the SGA, noted the state Legislature broke two-year colleges off from four-year institutions this year - an effort to push the two-year colleges to offer more job training courses.
"Economic development and education should go hand-in-hand," the governor told his six colleagues in attendance.
He said West Virginia needs trained coal miners because of the sudden increase in mining and soaring coal prices.
"We're running out of skilled workers," Manchin said.
Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power Co. president, said his firm constantly needs power plant control room operators.
"We teamed up with West Virginia State Community College," he said. Appalachian Power paid for the courses the control room operators needed and a simulator for the college.
"Everyone was employed by a public utility, and we hired the majority of them," Waldo said of the first graduating class.
Mike Petters, who heads Northrop Grumman's shipbuilding operation in Newport News, Va., said his firm has gone the community college route to train the estimated 15,000 shipbuilders it will need. The company worked with the Virginia Workforce Development office to make the program work.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Southern governors want flexibility to use federal dollars to train workers - and like the idea of using their community colleges to produce much of that training, they said Saturday at their annual conference.
"Innovation demands flexibility," U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao told governors and their staffs Saturday at the annual Southern Governors Association conference at The Greenbrier resort.
But that flexibility often doesn't exist, some governors said.
"A lot of folks on disability are on Medicaid," Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said. But when they are able to get jobs in the private sector, they lose those Medicaid benefits. Instead, they remain "under-employed" in order to continue to receive the health benefits, he said.
He asked Chao about finding Medicaid policies that will allow federal health benefits for such people.
The secretary noted her department has little input with those who operate the Medicaid program. "It would be wonderful if we had departments that actually coordinated with each other," she said.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, chairman of the SGA, noted the state Legislature broke two-year colleges off from four-year institutions this year - an effort to push the two-year colleges to offer more job training courses.
"Economic development and education should go hand-in-hand," the governor told his six colleagues in attendance.
He said West Virginia needs trained coal miners because of the sudden increase in mining and soaring coal prices.
"We're running out of skilled workers," Manchin said.
Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power Co. president, said his firm constantly needs power plant control room operators.
"We teamed up with West Virginia State Community College," he said. Appalachian Power paid for the courses the control room operators needed and a simulator for the college.
"Everyone was employed by a public utility, and we hired the majority of them," Waldo said of the first graduating class.
Mike Petters, who heads Northrop Grumman's shipbuilding operation in Newport News, Va., said his firm has gone the community college route to train the estimated 15,000 shipbuilders it will need. The company worked with the Virginia Workforce Development office to make the program work.
"Look for the businesses willing to invest and make it worth their while," he advised the governors and their staffs.
At one point, Kaine pulled out a 2-foot-long organizational chart of Virginia's old work-force development program and held it up for all to see.
"This internal organization was a disaster," the governor said.
He hired a former labor leader to head the Virginia program and made the chancellor of the state's 22 community colleges the head of the program.
Manchin suggested the two-year colleges be called "community career centers" instead of colleges for those who have avoided taking college courses.
West Virginia Commerce Secretary Kelley Goes said there is "not a common language" between educators and economic development.
Kentucky officials said they take educators on field trips to work places to make them familiar with what is going on.
But others warned that frequently business leaders, also, have no real idea of what their employees do.
"The business community talks a lot," Waldo noted, but doesn't always fulfill those statements.
Manchin said the annual meetings allow governors to exchange ideas and then change policies.
"If we see something that's working, we're on the phone," he said.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Kentucky Gov. Steve Breshear, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Virgin Islands Gov. John de Jongh Jr. are also attending the meeting, which ends Monday.
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Posted By: James(7:23am 08-10-2008)
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"Economic development and education should go hand-in-hand," No more true a statement has been made by this Govenor. WV could lead the nation in this area. Need to establish priorities, reward the educational institutions that are successful, show the wonderful people of our state there is a better way and their govt is setting the conditions for it and finally, keep politicians out of it. Allow the professionals - business and education professionals - to manage the supply and demand system that will put trained workers into workforce as business is creating jobs. To be clear, I'm not down on politicans. What I am is a small govt, hands off, thinker. The inovation and drive of individual citizens is amazing when it is not restrained and historically has solved this states problems. Why not allow it to be part of the solution to our economic issues. Govt can set the conditions but can not solve this problem by restraning business and education professionals.
Posted By: dennis(6:30am 08-10-2008)
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I agree with the one guy thats says get the business people to invest in the colleges, don't use tax payer money to train people for trade skills. Every trade job i have work the company has provided the training it should be no different with the coal mines. They just don't waant to spend the money and time to hire green people and give them on the job training which is the best training you can get. The coal mines need to hire some old coel mine vets and make up their own traing team. Juat like everything else in this state we wait until we have to do something before doing it and then its to late instead of planning for it. Its been talk about for years when the baby boomers retire the construction industry is going to be hurting for tradesmen for carpentry,concrete finishers,electrician, ect. but nobody is doing any thing to get ready for that time. When i was in high school we was offered to take these type of classes at a vocational school at no extra cost during school hours.
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