Needs and Opportunities
Human capital, commonly referred to as “workforce,” is one of New Mexico’s greatest deficiencies. CFED’s 2007 Development Report Card for the States gives New Mexico’s human resources an “F,” largely due to the state’s poor educational system. New Mexico ranks dead last in the nation for math proficiency, second to last for reading proficiency, and among the 10 states paying the lowest teacher’s salaries. NM fares only slightly better in high school attainment, high school completion and college attainment. Given that rural school districts lag typically behind those in urban areas, educational improvement must be addressed in northern NM for the region’s economy to improve.
Education is central to economic development because it is the backbone of a region’s workforce. The 2004 Angelou Economic Strategic Plan for Santa Fe supports this point. Angelou emphasizes the relationship between workforce development and economic development in that a strong workforce results in business recruitment, which creates in a strong economic base that supports entrepreneurship and long-term economic growth. “A strong pool of workers is critical to business expansion and recruitment to the region, industrial diversification and growing the population of young professionals,” says Angelou. He also reports that US regions that have invested in basic education are the most successful in growing high tech, high wage employers.
It is no surprise that many REDI stakeholders cited workforce as the most pressing economic development issue in northern NM. The numerous workforce issues raised by stakeholders can be divided into two categories:
1. Service Sector Workforce: Because of the state and region’s low unemployment rate, service sector employers are struggling to fill available positions. In addition, turnover is rampant due to failed drug tests and lack of work ethic. Numerous industries and communities are actively recruiting service employees from abroad.
2. Youth Retention: Northern NM suffers from “brain drain” of its youth population to more urban areas, where better employment and educational opportunities are available. The high cost of living and housing in Santa Fe, Taos and Los Alamos also serves to drive youth to more affordable areas, and hinders new businesses and young families from locating in the region. The result is an increasingly aging population with few economic opportunities and few skilled professionals. Professional employers in northern NM, notably hospitals and schools, are increasingly hiring abroad to fill their workforce needs. If this trend continues, is may threaten the very survival of rural communities in northern NM.
The SWOT analysis on the next page reveals some opportunities. The Solar Energy Research Park at Northern NM College, the Advanced Technology Center at Santa Fe Community College and the Regional Career Tech Center in Santa Fe are promising initiatives that provide new opportunities for workforce training and career pathways for youth. In addition, the Española school system is currently developing vocational training, and many private employers are providing or considering internship programs
Recommendation
This Plan recommends that all workforce efforts in northern NM be identified, assessed and coordinated, beginning with the work of a Regional Expert Team assigned to this task. The Regional Expert Team would be charged with creating the networks to address this issue more comprehensively. Depending on the progress of the Team, specific initiatives may be implemented immediately or as soon as funding can be identified. A larger effort, which involves developing programs in areas where gaps in service or opportunities exist, may require continued planning. The following components of this effort have been identified by stakeholders, and have been grouped into Service Sector and Youth Retention categories, as described earlier.
Service Sector
1. Consider developing employer-sponsored training programs or certifications in customer service that may result in higher wages. The purpose of participation would be to reduce turnover, and therefore costs, to the employer.
2. Provide assistance to employers in legal international recruitment through the Northern NM Local Workforce Development Board One-Stops.
Youth Retention
1. Inventory all existing job training and education programs and look for regional concentrations related to specific industries. For example, if UNM-Los Alamos has technology training programs, it would be a likely hub for technology outreach to the public schools and coordination of private sector technology internships. Similar concentrations appear to be emerging in Santa Fe with green technology, in Española with solar technology, and in Taos with medical professions and medical billing. These concentrations should be coordinated and marketed on a regional basis through school counselors, community colleges, and Department of Workforce Solutions resources.
2. Develop vocational curriculum in the public schools, based on concentrations identified above.
3. Develop entrepreneurial curriculum in the public schools and institutions of higher education.
4. Develop school-based programs with the private sector, in film and other emerging industries, where students learn basic skills through applied curriculum.
5. Develop high school math and science academies and career clusters.
6. Create a mechanism to allow retired and employed LANL employees to develop and implement technology curriculum in the region’s public school systems.
7. Develop a network of private sector entities, including the unions and casinos, willing to provide internships for high school and college students. Work with the school systems and community colleges to provide credit for internships.
8. Inventory career counseling and career pathway resources in the public schools, and develop additional resources if and where they are lacking.
9. Create community college liaison positions that are housed in the public schools and develop programs to introduce students to the regional community college system.
10. Use web-based services to organize and publicize various workforce opportunities, in order to make them more accessible and appealing to youth.
11. Develop community engagement programs where students can give back to their communities.