The first from Carole Valade, editor of the Grand Rapids Business Journal, entitled Michigan: a state of impoverishment. Citing data from (1) the Gallup-Healthways’ latest State of American Well-Being report that ranks Michigan in the bottom 10, (2) the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget’s Winter 2015 Michigan Economic and Workforce Indicators and Insights data on Michigan continued loss of residents ages 22 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree or higher and (3) the 2015 Kids Count in Michigan data book which showed a 35 percent increase in child poverty over the last six years, Valade concludes:

No matter how many positive proclamations Snyder makes, the state will remain in the bottom 10 without an orchestrated effort to affect education; it is the most effective method to declare war on poverty.

The second editorial comes from the Grand Rapids Press entitled Here’s how we can fight child poverty in West Michigan. Citing the Kids Count data, they write:

We must have a constructive dialogue within our community about how to address the issue of poverty. Far too often, words like “entitlement” and “hand-out” are used to make political arguments, but they fail to grasp the crippling burden of abject poverty. West Michigan’s elected officials in Lansing, most of whom are part of the Republican majority, must continue to find ways to fund programs that benefit and help the poor in our region and state. This includes bolstering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); more money for early childhood education; increasing access to healthcare; allocating more funds for job training; and streamlining human services programs aimed at helping low-income residents.

Exactly! Michigan policy makers need to understand that Michigan––no matter the welcome decline in the unemployment rate––is still a state with huge economic challenges. That we are closer to the bottom than the top on almost all measures of economic well being. And that to reverse that we need more  public investments in education, the safety net and making our communities places where people want to work and live.

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As I wrote: “The 40 Under Forty nominees work, of course, in the private sector, but also for nonprofits and government. And they overwhelmingly work in the knowledge-based sectors of the economy: health care and social assistance; education; management of companies; professional services; finance and insurance; and information. In terms of occupations, the 40 Under Forty nominees represent the broad diversity of opportunity in a 21st century economy. They also represent the continuing reality that the liberal arts remain a reliable path to success. Hardly any of these future leaders of the region work in STEM occupations.”

Both are good news for the future of the West Michigan economy. Successful regions are going to be those that are broadly diversified across all the knowledge-based services, rather than narrowly concentrated in a few industries. Certainly that is true for the two most prosperous Great Lakes regions: Chicago and Minneapolis.

This is a lesson that the state and nation need to learn. This narrow focus on STEM occupations, and even worse, the oft repeated message from too many of our political and business leaders that if you don’t get a four year degree in a STEM field you are better off going to a community college to become a machinist (or similar technical occupation) is bad for both students and the state’s and nation’s economic well being.

Do the nation and state need more people with math and science expertise? Of course. But that doesn’t mean we need fewer people with the kind of skills developed by getting degrees in fields other than engineering and the sciences. The only way to build a broad knowledge-based economy is to have a large talent pool with the widest variety of skills in plentiful supply.

Two recent articles explore why broader––rather than narrow occupation focused––college degrees, are good for our future well being. Both highly recommended:

In a terrific Wall Street Journal column entitled Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire, Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School makes the case why a broad liberal arts college education is good for the long term economic well being of students. The article is subtitled “Students are told learn the subjects that will best land them a job when they graduate. But that could be the worst thing they could do.”

The New York Times recently wrote about Indian business leaders starting a new liberal arts college. Why? As the Times writes: “Yet a group of successful professionals and entrepreneurs, some of them alumni of these universities, have come together to establish an alternative to what they say is an educational paradigm that overly emphasizes technical capabilities while neglecting vital skills like critical thinking, communications and teamwork.” (Emphasis added.)

West Michigan currently has too small of a talent pool — it has one of the lowest college attainment rates of metros with populations of 1 million or more in the country. So it’s good that the next generation of West Michigan leaders represented by this year’s Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty class chose to follow their own passion with degrees and occupations that are not those selected as the future winners by government or the so-called experts. But it also is good for the future of metro Grand Rapids.

Lets hope all across Michigan––which also has too small a talent pool––students follow their own passion and earn degrees and enter occupations that are not those selected as the future winners by government or the so-called experts. It will be good for them and the future of Michigan.

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The Detroit News in an editorial entitled Michigan kids deserve a strong educational foundation: Weakening state curriculum would make Michigan students less competitive makes the case against lowering high school graduation requirements. Adoption of those standards seven years ago was one of the signature accomplishments of the Granholm years. They passed with broad bi-partisan and business community support. They represent a major step in educating all Michigan kids for the economy they are going to live in rather than the one their parents and grandparents lived in which is in irreversible decline.

That is now under attack in the legislature where bi-partisan legislation is under serious consideration to roll back the standards in favor of reemphasizing vocational training. Not smart! As the News writes:

The Grand Rapids Business Journal in an editorial written by Carol Valade –– Gemini Publications’ editor –– entitled Current education policy creates another generation unfit for jobs makes a powerful case that preparing college students for specific occupations that policy makers believe are in high demand is not good for either students or employers. Valade writes:

What matters most is that Snyder (and politicians everywhere) is attempting to set long-term public policy, believing that the government can solve the problems of business and force colleges and universities deplete their dwindling state revenues to pump up student levels and programs the politicians believe are necessary to fill the “skills gap.” It is especially embarrassing — and inexplicable — to see Snyder, especially given his business background, walk this state into such an abyss. … But the bottom line is that no one knows — especially not politicians — what skill sets will be needed next. Such is often the theme of columnist Thomas Friedman, who cites “the curiosity quotient” as being more important than IQ in a “world guaranteed to change in unpredictable ways” and the continuing suddenness of such change as has been witnessed for more than 10 years.

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