TERRE HAUTE —
Sen. Joe Donnelly was in Terre Haute on Tuesday pushing for a bill he has introduced that would link federal college and university funding to in-demand jobs training.
The America Works Act, which Donnelly has introduced along with Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), would focus federal education funding on training programs recognized and demanded by industry. The goal is to train more workers for jobs in industries in which some observers believe there is a serious “skills gap.”
Donnelly toured the College of Technology at Indiana State University on Tuesday afternoon to see some of the hands-on training students receive in aeronautics, unmanned aircraft piloting, welding and high-technology parts manufacturing.
“At ISU, they are doing work for the most advanced engineering areas, as they are at Rose-Hulman,” Donnelly said. “The areas being delved into here academically are areas where we’re going to find more and more jobs for Hoosiers.”
Donnelly visited with students in several different areas of the John T. Myers Technology Building, including the aerospace simulator room where he chatted briefly with three professional aviation/flight technology students, Joe Haddad, J.J. Dover and Dan Nicolosi.
“This is awesome,” Donnelly said as he spoke with the students, who were sitting in a simulated aircraft cockpit.
Earlier Tuesday, Donnelly, a first-term senator from South Bend, visited Jeffersonville and Evansville, where he met with employers and educators. He arrived at ISU – his first visit to the university since being elected to the senate — in the late afternoon and was escorted around campus by university officials, including President Dan Bradley.
In a news release issued Tuesday, Donnelly stated there are an estimated 600,000 high-skill jobs in the U.S. that are unfilled. During a tour of the state last month, Donnelly said he met with Hoosier employers who complained of being unable to find employees for many jobs, especially those requiring technical skills.
“We have employer after employer who have positions that are open,” Donnelly said.
There is some disagreement nationally as to whether a “skills gap” exists. Some economists, such as Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize winner and a columnist for The New York Times, believe the “gap” is caused by employers paying too little to attract workers. Others, such as the Boston Consulting Group, a management strategy consultancy, report a skills gap among highly skilled workers of between 80,000 and 100,000 workers. A joint survey by Deloitte, a consulting firm, and an affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, estimated there are about 600,000 high-skill positions currently unfilled.
While at ISU, Donnelly, a Democrat, said he believes the gap exists.
“From my own personal experience, we have employers who have swapped the same employee three or four times,” Donnelly said. “There are not enough people skilled in that particular craft. … Wages do go up that way, but it doesn’t eliminate the fact that there are still not enough people doing it.”
Reporter Arthur Foulkes can be reached at 812-231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
-
Taking off: Senator Joe Donnelly talks with Indiana State University student Joe Haddad in a flight simulator in the school's Myer's Technology building. (Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis)
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Under construction: Indiana State University president Dan Bradley and Senator Joe Donnelly listen to Bradford Sims, dean of the College of Technology talks about the machine shop in the Myers Technology Building.
Discussion
Closing the gap: Sen. Donnelly promotes federal job training bill in visit to ISU
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Banks of the Wabash Festival is more than just yearly entertainment
Pioneers think counterintuitively. Where others see widespread apathy, they focus on the possibility for progress. In a way, the 2013 Year of the River celebration began in the 1970s.
-
Planning session aims to better Terre Haute
It’s not yet clear what will come of it, but dozens of community leaders spent the whole day Wednesday trying to develop a plan – or collection of plans – to make Terre Haute “a better community.”
-
Education funding boost won’t benefit all schools
In the budget bill passed by the General Assembly last month, there is more money allocated for K-12 education over the next two years, but that doesn’t mean every school will get more dollars.
- Day of Action job options open
-
Park Board renames land around Memorial Stadium
Land surrounding Indiana State University’s Memorial Stadium on Terre Haute’s east side has been designated as Veterans Memorial Park, following a unanimous vote Wednesday from the Terre Haute Park Board.
-
Deputy suffers minor injury during incident
A Vigo County Sheriff’s deputy received a minor injury to his hand Tuesday night while subduing a drunken driving suspect who fled behind a North Terre Haute business.
-
Man accused of child neglect gets new trial date
An Oct. 15 trial date has been set for a Terre Haute man arrested in November for child neglect after he and his wife allegedly tied up and confined their adopted children in the family home.
-
Police find meth labs, arrest Pierson Township man
Police uncovered two active methamphetamine labs in southeastern Vigo County on Monday, leading to the arrest of a Pierson Township man.
-
New date set for attempted murder trial
A new trial date has been set for a Terre Haute woman charged with attempted murder.
-
Illinois Senate approves sex education bill
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A proposal that revamps sex education in Illinois public schools to include information about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases has cleared the state Senate.
-
Gregg pondering 2nd run for Indiana governor
INDIANAPOLIS — Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg is pondering another run at the state's top job, but has yet to make a decision.
-
Illinois senator apologizes for Nazi remark
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Sen. Donne Trotter has apologized for remarks that compared a member of Gov. Pat Quinn’s cabinet to a Nazi.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 22, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Tuesday and Wednesday, based on jail records.
-
Rose-Hulman professor researching ways to make homes storm safe
Tornadoes produce greater uplift forces than hurricanes, which can flatten homes such as in Moore Okla., south of Oklahoma City.
-
Group wants to connect downtown Terre Haute with the Wabash River
Fairbanks Park is underutilized.
The Wabash River is peaceful and inviting, but there is some concern about its cleanliness as well as pollution levels. Also, people can’t get on the river unless they have a boat. -
New conservancy district appoints first directors
Members of the first board of directors of a new lake conservancy district were appointed Tuesday by the Vigo County Board of Commissioners.
-
Vigo law enforcement signs Triad charter to protect seniors
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller joined Vigo County law enforcement and community activists Tuesday to sign the county’s first Triad charter, becoming the 22nd Triad in Indiana.
-
Wabash Valley Red Cross wraps up Save the Day Campaign
The American Red Cross Wabash Valley Chapter’s 2013 annual meeting concluded the 17th annual Save the Day Campaign, and the results lifted the spirits of all who were involved.
-
Some Vigo roads washed out
Spring storms resulted in $250,000 in damages to roads in southern Vigo County, with costs including sand and labor to save homes near river bottoms, said county highway Assistant Superintendent Dan Bennett.
-
County Council votes $78K toward rail spur
County officials voted Tuesday night to make good on a 2011 promise to help improve a railroad spur just north of Terre Haute for Menard Inc.
-
Spring flooding damages future CSO holding lagoon
Flood waters from the Wabash River have done costly damage to one of the city-owned “lagoons” on former International Paper property.
-
Vigo tops state average for IREAD-3 scores
The Vigo County School Corp. exceeded the state average in the percentage of students passing the state’s mandatory Grade 3 reading test, IREAD-3.
-
Storms cause minor damage in Valley
Tuesday morning storms in the Wabash Valley caused thousands of Duke Energy customers to lose power.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 21, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Monday and Tuesday, based on jail records.
-
UPDATE: Damage surveys show 2 weak tornadoes hit near Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — The National Weather Service says storm surveys show two weak tornadoes struck central Indiana.
-
Storm causes scattered Indiana power outages
INDIANAPOLIS — A line of thunderstorms that moved across Indiana caused scattered building damage and power outages for several thousand homes and businesses.
-
Kindergartner diagnosed with MD treated to a day with the fire department
“He’ll just never forget this day,” Stacey Manley said, a little bit tearfully, as she watched her smiling 6-year-old son Carter sitting happily in the captain’s seat of Fire Engine 2.
-
Casey, Illinois aims for another world record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records. After setting records for the world’s largest wind chimes and the world’s largest golf tee, Casey is now looking to become home to the world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook.
-
Rose-Hulman projects will promote growth, learning for people with physical challenges
Life changed dramatically for college engineering student Drew Christy on Feb. 22, 2008 when he was involved in an auto accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
-
‘500’ gas stations being sold to Speedway LLC
After several decades in business, the area’s familiar “500” gasoline stations and convenience stores will soon be missing from the roadsides of Vigo and Sullivan counties.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Today in History May 22
Raw: Costa Rica Volcano Roars to Life
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
