State caught in game of catch-up for skilled workers

A new and potentially devastating problem has emerged in Arkansas’ continuing hunt for more and better jobs, but state economic developers are not inclined to openly talk about it.

That problem is skilled workers, or the lack thereof.

Although the state has moved very aggressively recently to close the wide gap that exists between employers’ needs and what the labor pool can offer, one has to wonder how many top-notch businesses have gotten away because of Arkansas’ dark secret.

This issue first became widely discussed in 2003 when the University of Arkansas’ Center for Business and Economic Research and the Milken Institute highlighted the dilemma in which the state now finds itself.

In that 302-page study, researchers pointed out that Arkansas was well behind other states in the development of knowledge-based companies because of an underachieving education system, limited work force skills and few technology resources.

By Wesley Brown

Full Story: http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/02/11/WesleyBrown/334083.html

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