Guest opinion: State’s economy depends on colleges of technology

In the next 10 years, our state is facing a crisis. Many of the key people who provide the infrastructure for Montana will be retiring. Who are they? The people who keep our vehicles running, those who run our oil refineries and power plants, maintain our farm equipment, take care of us while we are in the hospital, respond to our homes during an emergency, repair our home furnaces, build our homes, and maintain our computer networks. National studies show that over the next 15 years, the United States will face a shortage of approximately 21 million workers in those kinds of important jobs. Two-thirds of the shortage will be in fields that require education beyond high school up to a two-year college degree.

The Billings, Helena and Great Falls areas won’t dodge this phenomenon. As regional economic hubs, these areas must be able to supply the types of skilled workers local and regional businesses need to expand and create more good-paying jobs. Jobs that require two-year degrees already are in high demand. Shortages are being felt in Montana’s health services, information technology, automotive technology, hospitality, retail, construction and manufacturing sectors. The Montana Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 1998 and 2008, jobs requiring an associate degree will increase by more than 30 percent.

By JOHN E. CECH
MSU-Billings College of Technology Dean

Full Story: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/03/19/build/opinion/30-guest-op.inc