New Program Provides Bridge to Schools, Businesses: Las Cruces Sun News, 8/04/08

Las Cruces Sun-News (NM)

August 4, 2008

New program provides bridge to schools, businesses

Section: Opinion

A survey taken last year confirmed what many in the local business community already knew — employers in Dona Ana County were not happy with the training and skills of those workers who were showing up at their offices looking for work. Last year, a group of business and education leaders came together to form the Regional Education Initiative. An extension of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the goal of REI was to improve workforce development in the county. It targeted truancy and absenteeism in local schools as the first area to be addressed.

Last week, a celebration was held to unveil the new name and logo for this effort — The Bridge. Outgoing New Mexico State University President Mike Martin, who worked with Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Stan Rounds in forming the group, was on hand for the change.

Martin, never one to skimp on the hyperbole, gushed, "This is an experiment that has turned into a transformational moment," going on to predict that educators from throughout the nation will soon flock to southern New Mexico to "ask how to get it done."

Heck, we'd be happy if the school districts and business communities would just start talking to each other. And, that's just what The Bridge is designed to do.

It will include a board of directors with members from the Las Cruces, Gadsden and Hatch schools, NMSU and Dona Ana Community College, city and county governments, and the business community. The goal will be to ensure that schools have the resources and feedback they need from the business community to graduate students who are ready to step into jobs that need to be filled here in Dona Ana County.

Patsy Duran of Steinborn Realty, who was an original founder of REI, noted that the community will be asked to provide some of the financial backing that will be needed to reach that goal.

We recognize that a name change and a new logo are cosmetic changes, but think the new board can do some real good. The Bridge has tremendous potential to help both students graduating from our local schools and the businesses who will be looking to employ them.

Record Number:

10096382