| Notes |
TheCHAIRMAN.Thankyouverymuch. CongresmanRegula.
BARBARA ROBERTS
STATEMENTOFHON.RALPHREGULA,AREPRESENTATIVEIN CONGRESFROMTHESTATEOF010,16THDISTRICT
Mr.REGULA.Thankyou,Mr.Chairman.Iaskunanimouscon- senttomakemyentirestatementapartoftherecord.
TheCHAIRMAN.Itwilbeincludedinitsentiretyintherecord.
Mr.REGULA.IwasinterestedthattheNationalAsociationof ManufacturersinthepresreleasesaidandIquote"Whilewe canotsuportthebilinalofitsparticulars,itcorectlyrecog- nizesthatthebestinvestmentbusinescanmakeisinitsemploy- es.Wecantalkalwewantaboutproducingqualitygods,but untilwensurethatourworkershavethenecesaryeducationto kepupwithtechnology,wearegoingtolagbehindourinterna- tionalcompetitors."Theygontosaythat"bydevotingresources toimprovingtheducationofourworkers,wewilhavethecapac- itytoproducehigher-qualitygods,whichtranslatesintomorejobs andastrongernationaleconomy."
Ithinkthatsaysverywelwhattheobjectivesofthisbilare. Obviously,therewilbemanydiferencesintheideasbrought beforethiscomiteandothersthatareparticipatinginthevo- lutionofafinalproduct.SenatorHatfieldmentionedthePresi- dent'sprogram,theobjectivesfortheyear20,andIthinkthisis complementarytothatratherthaninconflictbecauseitadreses agapinoureducationprogram.
Andobviously,tosuportthekindsofobjectivesof'the20pro- gram,wenedtohaveastrongindustrialeconomy.Itistheindus- trialeconomyandthosewhoparticipatethatprovidethetaxes thatsuportourpubliceducationfacilities,andthereforeitisvi- talyimportantthattheybestrongandproductiveandcompetitive iftheyaretobeabletosuporttheservicesofgovernment,par- ticularlyineducation,intheyearstocome.
Onapersonalnote,Iwasverymuchinvolvedintheleadership andthecreationofStarkTechnicalColegeinOhiosomeyears ago.Thisinstitutionismetinganextraordinarynedinourarea.
Forinstance,StarkTechnicalColegeoferscoursesthatteachstu- dentshowtoadvisefactoriesandbusinesaboutlimitingthe
amountofwastetheyproducevenbeforetheproductionstarts. StarkTechisgearedtoadresthe70percentofouryoungpeople whodonotgontocolegeandyetnedskilstoparticipatefec-
tivelyinourindustrialeconomy. Ithinkoneofthethingsthathasnotyetbenmentionedisthat
inthevolutionofthisprogramwenedtotakeintoacountthe enormouspotentialresourcesthatalreadyexistinourvocational andtechnicalscholsinthisNation;Isethisasawayofutilizing theircapabilitiesevenmorefectivelyonbehalfskils.SoIhope thataswevolvethislegislation,wewilavoiduplicatingexisting programs,butratherenhancethemwiththeobjectivesofthisbil.
WeinAmericarecapableofmetingreatchalenges.Wesem tometeachandeverygoalwesetoutforourselves.President Kenedysetagoalofreachingthemon,andIthinkonlybecause thatgoalwaslaidoutdidAmericarespondandsucedinthatob- jective.ButoneofthethingsthatischaracteristicofourNationis thatwehavetobeconvincedthatsomethingisimportant.Presi- dentKenedymadethatanimportantgoal,andweachievedit. AndIthinkthatsomethingthatisimportantfortomorowilbe ourabilitytocompleteinwhatIcaltheworldeconomicsuper- bowl,withthecomonmarket,withthePacificRim.Andthe rewardtothewinerswilnotbeagoldring,butratherahigh qualityoflife,ahighstandardofliving.
Wehavetoconvinceourselvesthatwedohaveachalengeasa societyindevelopinghighly-skiledworkers.Justtogiveyouanex- ample,acoupleofyearsagoNewYorkTelephonehadtointerview 57,0candidatestofil2,0jobsthatdidnotrequireahigh scholdiploma,clearevidenceofthefactthatthereisagreatbody ofpeoplewhodonothavethenecesaryskilstometthechah lenges of today.
Chryslerreportstatwhileitstrainingandtechnicalmanuals arewritenatan8thgradelevel,atleast25percentofitsemploy- esnowreadatourbelowaithgradelevel.
Motorola,80percentoftheaplicantscanotpasasimple7th gradeEnglishcomprehensionexamora5thgrademathtest.AndI thinktheanatomyofourcrisisissimple.Wehavethehighest dropoutaridiliteracyratesamongtheadvancedindustrialcoun-
tries,anditisachalengetoupgradetheseskilssowedon'thave thatkindofasituationinthefuture.
ApointwasmadebySecretaryBrockisthattwo-thirdsofthe workerswhowilbeworkingintheyear20areintheworkforce todaytwo-thirdsandthatmeanswenedtoadresthoseprob- lemsamongthexistingpeoplewhoarepartoftheworkforcebe-
causetheyaregoingtodetermineourabilitytocompeteandbea productivesociety.Andthislegislationisaimedatthatproblem.
Andofcourse,IthinkSenatorHatfieldmadeaverygodpoint, andthatisthatthisisnotacaseofFederalizingtheanswertoa chalengingproblem. IftheFederalGovernmentprovidesthe money,itwilimposereguktionsandrestrictionsandwilhavean excesiveamountofbureaucracy.
Businesknowswhatsortofformaleducationisbestandwhat wouldhelptheiremployesandtheirprofitmargins,andIthinki |