Education Task Force: New Mexico Forum - Message from Senator Jeff Bingaman
Message from Senator Jeff Bingaman
To the Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future Forum on Workforce Development
Albuquerque, New Mexcio
September, 28 2004
Thank you for inviting me to attend the third of six national forums on Workforce Development: Ensuring Students Have the Tools to Succeed.
I would like to acknowledge the hosts and the participating task force members: John Podesta, Robert Borosage, Louis Caldera, John Buchanan, Delia Pompa, and Chauncey Veatch. I'd also like to recognize Carmel Martin, who helped organize today's event.
This task force, a joint project of the Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress, is charged with developing a new agenda for investing in our public schools and is seeking input from education leaders across the country. We are pleased to host this meeting today in Albuquerque, and I believe the members of the task force will be impressed by some of the innovative ideas being implemented in New Mexico classrooms.
The United States is the most innovative country in the world. But our leadership could slip away if we fail to properly fund primary, secondary and higher education. In fact, we're already seeing evidence of what could be in store if we don't make education a priority. Recent reports rank American adults 12th in literacy among industrialized countries, and suggest American 12th-graders rank below the average of their international counterparts in math and science. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey found that three-quarters of employers reported severe difficulty when trying to hire qualified workers, while 40 percent said that job applicants have inadequate skills. As a result, American companies are sending jobs overseas in record numbers.
To address this situation, we will need rigorous education and training to help students meet the demands of the marketplace of the future. That is already taking place in parts of our state. For example, in Gadsden, New Mexico, my office has helped with an innovative apprenticeship program in a rural border area that has been struggling to retain jobs. The Gadsden program has linked the needs of area employers to the high school and postsecondary curriculum. The employers get a customized workforce, and have more incentive to stay and grow their business in the region. The students get preferred hiring status, as well as opportunities to enhance their skills and obtain certificates as they work.
We need to implement programs like this across the country. Toward that end, I will work hard to pass legislation I wrote called "Preparing Students for a High-Tech World Act" which aims to provide students with opportunities to participate in rigorous career and technical education programs, preparing them for postsecondary education and high-skilled, high-wage jobs.
I will be very interested in reading the task force's report which will outline an agenda for modernizing and renewing public education in the United States. I congratulate all of the participants for their hard work in advocating quality education in New Mexico.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bingaman
United States Senate