No Education, No Good Jobs

 And Indiana keeps failing to educate its population for a better future. I keep writing on this even though no one cares to read me on this subject. 

So go read Indiana's economy will fall off higher ed enrollment cliff. Did state set itself up to fail?

 Hicks uses the example of Intel, a multinational corporation and technology company, which recently expanded into Ohio rather than Indiana.

"They went to a higher tax-rate state in Columbus, Ohio, because they wanted to have access to the workers," Hicks said.

For the past 30 years, 80% of net job growth in the U.S. has gone to college graduates, according to Hicks. High school graduates rely on replacement jobs — positions that open only when another worker retires.

"High school-educated workers with a two-year degree, they have plenty of places in the economy, but we're only growing more jobs in amongst people who've been to college," Hicks said.

The jobs high school-educated workers are securing are also expected to become more automated in the next few decades. Currently, state Legislators are expected to consider a new, more individualized approach to funding higher education that is based on school-specific goals rather than its blanket formula. But this slow-moving process won't counteract the effect of the higher education cliff.

“The past decade is going to have implications on the state's economy for decades. Even if we reverse this next year or the year after, we’re still going to have a much worse 2030, 2040 and 2050 than we would have had otherwise if we had sustained our push for better education, for educational attainment," Hicks said.

Hicks bucked the argument that investment in trade schools and technical jobs is the future for Indiana.

"The idea that we have foisted upon young Hoosiers for everything, from our career paths to speeches by presidents of community colleges, really caused students to stay away from school and the prices have gone up," Hicks said. "This will cause substantial long-term damage. It's already started."

I work with a woman even older than me who makes frequent comments about the loss of factory jobs. She mentioned one child never finished high school, that what he planned on doing did not require school, and one that did finished high school, no mention of any further education. This is the Indiana, I saw plenty of before my arrest, and with which I work with now. No one of any prominence in Indiana has stood up and explained why this state needs more college graduates, that everyone here needs an education. Since the Republicans have been running this state for most of my life, what is it in them to have an uneducated citizenry?

sch 12/6/22