Dr. Mary I. Vanis Director, Center for Workforce Development October 24, 2006 Competing in a Flat World Economy: Getting & Keeping Arizona Students in the Math & Science They Need to Succeed

Jobs in a Global Economy “Inevitably and already the global economy is redefining America’s workplace. But it is a redefinition, not an elimination.” Source: Jobs Revolution

Competing in a Flat World “Fundamental transformations now underway in the global economy have compelled large corporations to develop new strategies with respect to both their external environment and their internal operations to enhance competitiveness.” Source: Greenberg and Grunberg

Education for Employment “None of the top 10 jobs that will exist in 2010 exist today and that these jobs will employ technology that hasn’t been invented to solve problems we haven’t yet imagined” Source: Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley

America in the World “The key is not just knowledge or skill, but flexible knowledge, flexible skills – those insights and abilities that enable us to learn new material quickly, to move easily from one job to another.” Source: Jobs Revolution

20% 45% 65% 60% 35% 15% Why should we be preparing our Youth to enter the workforce today? - Bureau of Labor Statistics, Market Statistics and Projections Employment Groh by Job TypeEmployment Groh by Job Type

Assessing The High Tech Manufacturing Workforce Needs of Greater Phoenix Findings, Strategies, and Actions January, 2006 Maricopa Community Colleges Salt River Project Industry Stakeholder Groups For the Full Study

Survey data indicates…..  Employers are projecting to hire over 4,900 technicians over the next two years, approx 3,400 will be net new hires.  Less than 25% of the participating companies indicated that they were engaged with the K-12 and/or the community college system in building career awareness.  On the average, 92% of the expected job increases will require more than a high school diploma. Assessing The High Tech Manufacturing Workforce Needs of Greater Phoenix

Nearly 5,000 workers are projected to find opportunities in the next 2 years in a range of high-tech manufacturing fields

Summary of Key Priority Academic Skills Across the Technician-Types

Findings suggest:  Firms are looking beyond labor costs to find other cost reduction opportunities.  Technicians will need to have more of a full “systems perspectives” in the future.  High tech manufacturers emphasize “soft skills” as being critical.  Finding employees with required talent and technical skills is getting increasingly difficult.  Insufficient engineering and technical talent and a dwindling pipeline of supply may constrain growth of high-tech manufacturing in the Greater Phoenix region. Assessing The High Tech Manufacturing Workforce Needs of Greater Phoenix

Study’s conclusions…..  The Region’s high-tech manufacturers are at crossroads as economic prospects are improving, yet changing market dynamics and global competition require new thinking in terms of production capacities, operational capabilities, and technologies.  Essential to the global competitiveness of these firms is their ability to attract, grow, and retain the talent pool essential to their operations, including their technician workforce.  The question of where these technicians will come from and how these technicians will receive this training remains unanswered.  The strategies and actions described in the Strategic Plan provide guidance as to how firms, industries, and the public and private educational infrastructure can come together to address these needs and sustain these industries, while providing meaningful, high-wage careers to the region’s residents. Assessing The High Tech Manufacturing Workforce Needs of Greater Phoenix

Questions and Comments Thank You