Governors Push to Keep U.S. Competitive

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, listen during President Bush's speech at the 2007 Republican Governors Association gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, Monday, Feb. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson) (Lawrence Jackson - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Globalization has come to every hometown, every school and every workplace, but students and workers are not given the tools to keep up, governors reluctantly agreed Tuesday.

It's past time for a sweeping transformation of education, worker training and economic development, governors said, ending a four-day National Governors Association's meeting with a call for a national commitment to change.

Everyone talks about globalization and international competition, but it's time for concerted action, said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. The changes are "under our feet. On the ground under us, right now," she said.

Governors set out a framework for what they termed innovation, and hope to get federal support to include their ideas in legislation now in Congress on work force training, education, and research and development. Among the ideas:

_ Refocus on science, technology, engineering, math and foreign language proficiency. They are seeking programs to encourage students and teachers in those subject matters.

_ Make worker training more flexible, coordinate training with regional needs and make progress measurable.

_ Create federal "competitive innovation grants" to encourage states to develop regional hubs that build on existing strengths, like computer development in North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham area.

The aim is more skilled students and workers, higher-paying jobs, and a more vibrant economy.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told governors Tuesday that the demands of competitiveness were going to drive improvements in energy and health care, but that they won't come without costs and turmoil.

"Our companies can't keep up in the world if their health care costs are too much. The pressures of competitiveness" will force change, he said.

The key is improving education, and to align it better with the needs of business so students come out of high schools, community colleges, vocational schools and higher universities with the knowledge for today's business world, said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat.

"We are really falling far behind other countries in the world with our skill set for workers," she said.