Technology can attract industry
Technology jobs, particularly jobs in biotechnology, will be one of the primary focuses of Tennessee’s economic development in the coming years according to Dr. Abraham Pallas, Director of the Tennessee Technology Center here in McMinnville.
Pallas attended the Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development held at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville last week to learn about industry trends and methods for attracting industry, both locally and statewide.
“Biotechnology is one of the new emphases, or continuing emphases, in the state,” Pallas said. “Technology is imbedded in everything, and we need a highly skilled work force. We need to be dedicated to lifelong learning.”
Current Gov. Don Sundquist was so impressed with the potential for growth in the biotechnology industry that he implemented a Governor’s Task Force on Biotechnology to develop strategies for developing these kinds of businesses in the state. Pallas was impressed with some of those strategies and the general direction of the task force, as set out by some of the featured speakers at the conference.
“They emphasized innovation, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, constant training. They asked the question, ‘How many knowledge workers are there in your community?'”
Pallas talked about the importance of homegrown industry in the state, and how technology oriented education will affect that.
“We need to be looking at growing our own new companies and not only bringing people in from outside,” he said.
He pointed out Bouldin & Lawson Corporation, developers of the WastAway solid waste disposal process, as a local example of this potential, and the necessity of modernizing our educational facilities to meet the needs of these industries.
Pallas talked about how the job market has evolved from the middle of the last century to the beginning of the new millennium.
“Fifty years ago, 20 percent of the jobs required bachelor’s degrees, certainly college diplomas. Twenty percent of the jobs required some technical training, and 60 percent of the jobs were essentially unskilled. Now, we still have that same 20 percent at the upper end, but the unskilled and the technically skilled have changed. Instead of being 60/20, now it’s 20/60.
“The number of jobs that are going to be available to unskilled workers are shrinking. Generally, some type of post-secondary education and/or training, is going to be necessary for many employees.”
For further information on developing technologies and job markets visit the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation Website at www.tennesseetechnology.org.