Training the work force

Nation's Business, March, 1986 by Andrew J. Sherman

Because the area has a high Hispanic population, much of the job training focuses on English language skills, including reading and writing.

"We are like a little red school-house," says Sandra Smith, an instructor at the center. "People come from 30-mile distances to attend."

Hamilton Bowser thinks the problem is not shortage of programs, but rather, quality of instruction. Bowser is president of the 38-employee Evanbow Construction Company, of East Orange, N.J., and, like Murray, is a member of the White House Conference on Small Business task force on education and training. "It's surprising how few of today's business management professors have any practical business experience," says Bowser. "Perhaps a coop program should be required for business teachers to ensure that they keep their fingers on the day-to-day aspects of operating a business."

Small business conferees have recommended that federal legislation to partially subsidize the cost of on-the-job training be enacted in the form of tax credits, rebates of employers' Social Security payments or authority to pay subminimum wages. Most small businesses "simply do not have the resources" to provide such training, says Bowser.

But Louis Faoro, associate administrator for business development in the Small Business Administration, thinks private business must take the lead role. "SBA is pushing cosponsorship of training programs through its network of small business development centers," he says. "SBA should be a catalyst, then the small business community should take it from there."

Says Hamilton Bowser: "The programs are out there, it is just that not enough small business owners and employees are taking advantage of them. You can't legislate participation."