LETTERS: EDUCATED WORKERS ARE A TOP PRIORITY

To the editor:

A Speak Out comment prompts this letter to the editors of several of our region's newspapers. The comment made it apparent that some individuals in this region are not convinced that bringing the resources of the university to communities outside of Cape Girardeau can help solve educational, social and economic problems and make a better life for the people of this entire region.

The caller indicated that the best solution to the social and economic problems of the Bootheel counties would be to use tax dollars to provide people with bus tickets to some location, presumably larger cities, where more jobs are available. Unfortunately, that simple solution would do nothing but move the problem from the Bootheel to the cities, where jobs are usually more plentiful but where uneducated people, unskilled in the demands of the modern workplace, are no more likely to find prosperity than in their home counties in Southeast Missouri.

And the point is that people generally don't want to move to the cities but prefer to remain in their hometowns where they have roots and where they can be close to their families. Many of our Southeast Missouri counties have already been subjected to enormous population losses over the past several decades, and the region's leaders believe it is time to reverse these trends by a large-scale assault on the negative factors which have traditionally hampered economic development in this area. Low education levels, poor parenting skills and inadequate family services are all problems which have contributed to the continuing cycle of poverty in Southeast Missouri. And these are all problems which an institution like Southeast Missouri State University and its partners in the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium (University of Missouri, Lincoln University, Mineral Area College and Three Rivers Community College) can help solve.

We believe that education -- work force training and development -- in all its aspects, from basic skills to work ethic to highly technical training, must become a dominant focus of this region. And we believe this must be couple with intensified cooperative efforts to bring new jobs to this area.

We are delighted that so many legislators and civic leaders throughout the region are committed to these goals and want to help by working with the university. They understand how important it is that people have the opportunity to grow and prosper in their hometowns. They want to help us create educational programs recommended by business and industry to teach skills needed in the 21st century workplace. They want to help us develop enhanced support systems to help people get off welfare and into the work force. Doing so, they believe, will make the region more competitive in the search for Information Age jobs.

Southeast remains a university with a central campus where individuals are encouraged to live and learn and become successful in a traditional college environment, a situation which is important for many students. However, at the same time the university is committed to helping those who are unable to come to our campus by providing opportunities for people where they live so they will not have to leave home.

We appreciate the help of people throughout Southeast Missouri and solicit comments and advice on how the university can be of greater assistance in tackling these longstanding problems.

DALE F. NITZSCHKE, President

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau