Emily Stover DeRocco Speech
Maryland Governor's Workforce Summit
November 15, 2004
Johns Hopkins University
Laurel, MD
Thank you, John. And thank you Secretary Fielder for inviting me back to address your workforce summit.
It is an exciting and challenging time to be in the workforce business. After several generations of stability and continuity in the workplace, we are now engaged in a period of change unlike anything we've seen since the turn of the last century.
It was electricity and the assembly line that transformed our economy back then. Today, it is globalization and technology.
Globalization has brought the free flow of goods and labor and enabled all countries to compete for industries and jobs. And technology has made integration and profit possible, even from 8,000 miles away.
These changes should not strike fear into the hearts of Americans, but should instead, excite our creative spirit. For the reason that we still remain the world's leading economy--even as we have moved from agriculture to manufacturing to services--is the innovation of the American worker.
As lower skill jobs emigrate or disappear, they are replaced by higher skill, higher paying jobs that advance our economy and improve the lives of our workers. This is possible because we have the freedom to question and reason, the resources to experiment and improve, and the incentive to dedicate our time and energy.
These characteristics are a combination of the political freedoms we hold and the economic flexibility that our system offers. Other countries large and small are trying to compete with or overtake us, but none are willing to sacrifice the political or economic controls that would unleash their human spirit. Instead, the best they can do is pirate our ideas or make cheap imitations.
However, just because other countries cannot figure out the keys to economic success does not mean that we can rest easy or allow our systems to stagnate. And I fear that without constant vigilance, maintaining the status quo is the natural state of our systems, and that will not be good enough.
We don't have to look far to see the signs. Our schools seem unable to inspire and educate our children in innovation-driving skills such as math and science. Our flagship airlines are in bankruptcy or approaching it. And our workforce system, employing over 100,000 people nationwide, in too many instances, continues to do as it has always done.
The flagship airlines are in danger because, even with some government protections, they are subjected to the ruthless forces of innovation and creativity in the form of Southwest and JetBlue and the other new carriers who have found a different and better business model.
Our schools and our workforce system are subjected to no similar forces so are able to proceed as they always have. However, the results of the innovative spirit and creativity of a free people will never be realized if we do not educate and train our next generation of workers.
Thankfully, President Bush recognizes the problem and is taking steps to address it. His No Child Left Behind program finally introduced the idea of accountability into a system that for too long had none. Now states and local areas are picking-up where the President started and leading the effort to change and improve our schools.
So, while our children's education system begins the much needed reforms, our worker training and adult education system continues as is. Two years ago, President Bush proposed a sweeping reform of the public workforce system that would grant nearly complete flexibility and control to the states and local areas in exchange for greater accountability.
Entrenched interests moved quickly though, protecting the status quo at all costs and thwarting meaningful reform. So when the President saw our chances of success through Congressional action fading, he directed the Labor Department to get out in the country and demonstrate that these reforms are more effective than the old way of doing business.
And that is exactly what we did. Over the last year, we have facilitated and funded 75 projects in 37 states across 10 different industries. All told, we have invested over $130 million to show that there is better way to do business than the current model.
The key to each of these projects is a partnership that includes employers, educators, and the public workforce system. All three of these groups must work together if we are going to have a system that can successfully train individuals with the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
And I am proud to say that Maryland was there at the beginning. Last March, Secretary Chao came to Johns Hopkins campus in Baltimore to announce the beginning of the entire High Growth Job Training Initiative and provide $5.5 million to develop the health care workforce through innovative projects designed by the state and the University.
Then, this past summer, Lt. Governor Steele led a delegation to San Antonio for our annual Workforce Innovations conference. They presented your model to over 2,500 people representing business, education, and workforce development from around country.
Now I understand that you are expanding your reach beyond health care into traditional industries like tourism, transforming industries like aerospace, and cutting edge industries like interactive technology. You should be extremely proud, and I commend the leadership that Governor Ehrlich and Secretary Fielder have shown.
Back in Washington, another Congress is about to be seated and we are going to try again with our reforms to the system. Our new proposals will reflect what we have learned during the High Growth Initiative and will have the force of results to back them up. I am hopeful, even confident, that we will prevail this time.
As someone who has spent almost 15 years working to improve our public workforce system, I have learned that it is not change or accountability that we should fear, but irrelevance. Judging by the excitement and commitment in my adopted State of Maryland, I know I have nothing to fear here.
Thank you very much and keep up the good work.
