ROCKVILLE, IND. —
As America struggles with high unemployment, officials observe that many jobs remain unfilled for lack of qualified workers.
U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Evansville) hosted a seven-person roundtable discussion Wednesday afternoon in Rockville, as panelists strive to spread its message that jobs, and help, are available. But the unemployed do have to step up and ask, they pointed out.
“The longer you’re on unemployment, the lower you chances are of ever getting hired again,” Bucshon said amid the 11⁄2-hour discussion. “If you’re on unemployment for more than two years, the chances of your being in the workforce ever again are very low.”
A “huge battle” in Washington, D.C., will soon be waged on this very topic, he said. Sides are being drawn in the impending debate about continued extensions of unemployment benefits, and the fight will be loud and long, he predicted.
Meanwhile, Bucshon and others noted that a host of cost-free programs are available to those seeking employment, and as the unemployment system undergoes potential reformation, it would behoove people to access those opportunities.
“They need to participate in programs that will help them become employable,” he said.
Lisa Lee, executive director of Work One Western Indiana, described that agency as a “career center” with assistance for people at all levels.
“It’s not just for the high school dropouts. There is a lot we can do for the professionals,” she said, mentioning free career assessments, diagnostic tests, resume-building services and electronic portfolio development programs.
Currently, Wabash Valley employers and those across the country are seeking skilled labor but finding a short supply. Bucshon wove his point on that matter into the discussion as he recounted visits with Britt Aero, a division of Britt Tool, Inc., and Great Dane Trailers, both in Brazil.
Britt Aero manufacturers specialized equipment for the aviation industry, and requires a high level of training in its workforce. The company has historically chosen to train much of its workforce internally, Bucshon said, explaining this takes considerable time and effort. Given the lack of skilled employees in the available labor pool, high-end employers such as this are wary of bringing in large amounts of new hires given the cost to training them, he said.
Meanwhile, Great Dane Trailers has spots open for 180 to 200 entry-level workers, with little experience required. Plant officials told him they’ll probably go through 900 people before actually keeping 200 who plan to work there. Newly-hired workers leaving the plant before finishing the training video were among the stories he heard there, he said, pointing out that companies like Great Dane will provide valuable training in skills such as welding on-site.
Lee Anne Crooks, director of the Corporate College at Ivy Tech of the Wabash Valley, said she hears similar accounts from employers, particularly about the need for workers with electrical skills.
Meanwhile, all acknowledged the job market is tight. Bucshon said private companies are sitting on “trillions in capital,” but uncertainty about the future of health care costs and other political issues has them sitting on the sideline. The best solution is to heighten the skills of the labor pool to access current openings and prepare for those in the future, he said.
“We need to upscale our workforce to meet the demands of the 21st century,” he said.
His own father was a United Coal Miner, but the days of people leaving high school and walking into a middle class job are all but over, he said. The national unemployment rate stands about 8.6 percent, with Indiana at 9 percent, he said, adding that officials don’t envision that dropping in 2012.
Alan Morrison, assistant director of facilities at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, said getting this message to youth is key.
“Right now, less than five percent of all the degrees we hand out here in the U.S. are for engineering,” he said, remarking that China and European countries are producing more than double that each year. Getting high school students interested in science and math programs is one way to prevent future unemployment, he said, adding that it’s up to the community to keep those graduates in the Wabash Valley. “There’s a brain drain here, no doubt.”
Bucshon remarked that many high school students don’t know what engineers actually do, and the same holds true for many health care jobs like radiology technicians. Getting the message out to youth and adults alike is challenging, he said. The roundtable, hosted in Ivy Tech’s Parke County Learning Center, drew less than five members of the public, and Bucshon likened the difficulty of informing the public about employment opportunities with that of getting members to attend informational events.
Robert Rendaci, vice president of Old National Bank in Clinton, and Jack Fenoglio, board president of the Vermillion Rise Mega Park, said that 7,000-acre site represents tremendous opportunity for growth. Formerly a U.S. Army munitions depot, the Newport site contained about 3,500 jobs before its closure.
“And we’re looking to replace that,” Rendaci said, emphasizing the group’s aim for high-tech industry.
Still, without the requite training, the unemployed will have a hard time accessing new jobs, multiple participants said, noting the programs are typically free and open to all.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
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