thinker

Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 11:45 a.m.

This is going to be an unpopular comment and will get many negatives. However, I'll say it anyway. There are not enough young people, future workers, taxpayers, and Social Security payers, due to abortion and contraception, to keep our country, state, and retirees supported. Not even talking about what these young people will have in the way of Social Security themselves when they retire if this continues. The education system and public policy and perception bear some blame too, in making it seem as if a college education is a necessity, when in fact more technical schooling at lower cost would produce more employable young people.

John

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 5:39 p.m.

Are they talking about Snyder's war on seniors and the middle class?

Paul Wiener

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 4:55 p.m.

There is no single, simple answer. Some of it is people unwilling to move away from "home." Some of it is greed. Much of it is the new technical skills needed and absent, combined with fewer people needed to perform many manufacturing jobs. Immigration laws must be changed. Public schooling is abysmal. False pride in America and in exceptionalism is stifling and self-destructive. The innate stupidity of certain classes of people and American demographics is a factor. Ignorance of the world and of science is a factor. Dependence on the media and gadgetry increases ignorance. Worship of the self is a factor.

Greg

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 4:52 p.m.

From what I can see, college education has been way oversold to the public. It is incredibly expensive and there just are not that many jobs as graduates. Tech schools and the like would help a lot. Get the people training that they can actually use and is wanted. Really need to get the cost of schools under control! When the costs increase year after year after year, good or bad economy, something is wrong.

Tom Todd

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 4:29 p.m.

some folks are lazy and don't want to work.

Scott Reed

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 4:06 p.m.

I think we need more scientists, engineers and technical people in general - people who can DO things and MAKE things. Too many young people are drawn to parasitic industries in finance and legal, and so do not contribute to the REAL economy. Engineers and scientists are the real problem-solvers and job-creators that America needs.

Ben Freed

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 3:46 p.m.

Lizzy, While they're not as desirable as STEM or business degrees, Liberal arts degrees are OK as long as you're learning critical thinking/problem solving skills and then can show them off when you get the opportunity to meet with potential employers. Liberal arts students also must be willing to take entry level jobs that they often shun, instead opting for even further education (masters/PhDs). Those extra degrees in turn make them even less likely to take an entry level job that they will see as "beneath" them.

Lizzy Alfs

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 3:30 p.m.

Ben: I know you've talked about a million things and I've probably missed this in the past two days - but has there been talk of liberal arts degrees? I find that was a huge problem with my fellow U-M grads: my friends have philosophy, sociology and English degrees. It's hard to market yourself with those.

bruceae

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.

Something is wrong here. If the jobs paid as well as jobs in other states there would be people taking them. Most of the people I know working in Michigan right now are some how involved in manufacturing and they are not happy. It's been multiple years since anyone got a raise, the benifit packages are worse every year and what you have to pay for health care is going up. Just about everyone around me is looking for a new job and it's usually out of Michigan.

dotdash

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 2:08 p.m.

Why does someone have to be "to blame"? Isn't that a pretty simplistic way of looking a problem that arises because institutions are pretty slow to move, young people don't always know what they want or what jobs are out there, and industry whose needs change pretty fast?

Judy

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 12:40 p.m.

Employers & State Lawmakers are to blame! Many Employers refuse to hire people right out of school who have no experience and State Lawmakers allow employers to hire and fire employees "At Will."

B2Pilot

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 11:45 a.m.

Great to see private and public groups working together.

JimmyD

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 11:03 a.m.

Blame-Game: 1) Employers invest zero in OJT or out-reach to schools to connect to future workers; 2) Students watch Hollywood and pick expensive studies with limited potential employeement; 3) Lawmakers & Schools don't tie school funding to getting hired in the student's field (Germany does this);

4Bells

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 11 a.m.

Hopefully, this summit will produce some actual results for Michigan's sputtering economy and jobs blight. What WE don't need is more taxes on our already tax-weary citizens to lure in portable, "gypsy" business entities that don't pay decent wages and "carpet bag" from state-to-state seeking the best tax and business incentive deals.

TheDiagSquirrel

Tue, Mar 19, 2013 : 10:40 a.m.

Except for the manufacturing sector, there really isn't a lack of "skilled workers". I do think that potential employees need to do a better job of marketing themselves (think of yourself as a business/entity) during the resume and interview processes, and employers need to do a better job at retaining and recognizing talent here in Michigan.