Michigan needs to continue efforts to cultivate a skilled workforce, because "talent" is the "defining factor" driving where businesses choose to locate or expand, Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday.
"I am absolutely convinced it can be a strategic economic advantage to lead the charge on having the best talent in terms of professional trades, STEM related trades, all those different areas," Snyder said, speaking in Lansing at the Governor's Education and Talent Summit, an annual event that brings together people from education, business and nonprofit communities.
"Who leads that the best is going to see their economy grow faster than other places around the world."
Snyder touched on a variety of topics during his speech, ranging from the important role the skilled trades play in Michigan's economy to boosting opportunities for hands-on learning through programs such as FIRST Robotics.
He also touched on the need for schools to embrace "competency based learning," an approach that allows students to progress after they've mastered material at their own pace rather than tying advancement to how long they've "been in a classroom."
"We do that in some portions of our educational system," Snyder said, noting that boosting competency learning was a key recommendation by the 21st Century Education Commission, a panel he created to examine ways to improve Michigan's schools.
"But I think we need to see that through the whole system much more so, because in many respects that's what happens when someone's working on the job in their career."
The Education and Talent Summit, held over two days, included a variety of panels and presentations on topics such as bridging the gap between school and the workforce, generating greater awareness of high-demand fields, and how to develop and retain teachers.
Filling the so-called "skills gap" also was a major focus of the event.
While there are more than 98,000 open positions advertised on Michigan's official job site, finding the skilled workers to fill those spots remains a challenge, officials say.
Since 2010, the conversation in Michigan has shifted from "where is there a job" to "do you have the skills to take that job," Snyder said.
"It's a skills question," he said. "And we need to fill that gap."
Snyder also touched on an element of a debate playing out on the Michigan Merit Curriculum, a set of rigorous high school graduation requirements that a subcommittee in the state Senate is examining to see whether changes are needed to better meet the needs of students. Career and technical education proponents say the curriculum is too rigid and doesn't give students enough flexibility to pursue courses in the skilled trades.
Snyder, who didn't mention the curriculum by name, said he supports expanding hands-on learning for students, but those opportunities shouldn't come at the expense of academic rigor.
"I don't believe in lowering the standards, for example, like in Algebra II in our state," Snyder said, referencing the math course which is a required part of the merit curriculum. "I believe in having more flexibility in how it's taught and learned, though."
That approach, Snyder said, could include incorporating principles of Algebra II into career and technical education courses.
"Some of us," he said, "are not great X, Y and Z people."