Authority Board Member And Former AMS Director Weigh In On Globalization On National Broadcast
Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008
As part of the nationwide news program “The Jim Lehrer News Hour,” Arkansas Science & Technology Authority Board Member Paul Mastro and former AMS Director Lydia Carson were part of a panel discussion on globalization and how it is affecting both the state and national economy.
The panel, moderated by Margaret Warner, centered on how globalization is affecting Arkansans' and Americans' access to good jobs and what any president can do about it.
Former AMS Director Lydia Carson stressed innovation and distinctiveness as the key to a robust manufacturing future for Arkansas and the U.S.
”It's all about cutting costs and being more efficient,” she said. “But there's a couple of things that we look at in addition to being lean, also being innovative and looking at ways to have products and services that are different than what can be offered from overseas or other parts of the world.”
Board member Paul Mastro, Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering at George Fischer Sloane, pointed to the need for a trained workforce.
Responding to Warner’s question as to who should be responsible for the process, Mastro pointed to the manufacturers themselves and stressed preparing an educated workforce at the local level. “If you look at the high schools and the colleges, I just don't think we're doing a good job in science and math. And the people we're seeing are just not really tooled to handle some of the new technologies.”
The numbers support Mastro’s viewpoint. An Arkansas Democrat Gazette Article published Thursday, January 31, 2008 stated that the share of first time freshmen required to take remedial courses at state colleges and universities has risen over 50% in the last year.
Still, Mastro is optimistic about the future. “I think we've proven that American manufacturing is very resilient,” he said. “You know, I think we reinvent ourselves. You just have to find new ways to compete. And as long as you don't get additional roadblocks thrown your way, I think we've got a good shot.”
