Supermarket checkout clerks and counter workers in fast food restaurants work with specialized computers. Many auto mechanics must be able to operate a computer to analyze engine troubles. Just about all clerical jobs are now performed on a computer terminal. Alarmingly, at a time when a high school diploma is a bare minimum, the dropout rate is increasing. The 1999 dropout rate was 11 percent higher than the previous year.
Education is a great economic equalizer, the one job-training program that shows consistent results.
The city must keep its economy growing and creating jobs. We must implement policies that protect the manufacturing jobs that remain here. But the key is education. We must ensure that every child has the opportunity receive a quality education. Reaching the goal will require a massive program of school reform.