Degner Conover Warner Advanced manufacturing, 21st-century logistics, information technology and the life sciences have been identified as the “economic clusters: toward Hoosier economic growth by the Indiana Department of Commerce.

Continuing educators from the IU campuses gathered in Bloomington during the symposium to discuss the role of education—and particularly the role of continuing education—in developing the state’s economy. Speakers included Alan Degner, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development; Jerry Conover, director of the Indiana Business Research Center in the Kelley School of Business; and Amy Conrad Warner, associate vice chancellor for lifelong learning and interim vice chancellor of external affairs at IUPUI.

Government has traditionally fostered economic growth by offering tax incentives, said Degner, but tax breaks no longer suffice in enticing new businesses to locate in Indiana. Today, he continued, businesses want to know that a community can provide workers who have the skill sets needed to help the businesses succeed. “With the pace at which the economy is changing and the pressures brought about by global competition,” he said, “nothing is more important in positioning Indiana for growth and a more promising future than having a qualified and competent workforce. . . . We have to stay current; we have to keep our skills cutting edge if we want to excel. One of the ways to do it is lifelong learning.”

Conover urged educators to familiarize themselves with the activities of the many state and non-profit agencies that are involved in economic development and with the economic “clusters” the Indiana Department of Commerce has targeted for economic growth: advanced manufacturing, 21st-century logistics, information technology, and life sciences. Education, he argued, is a precursor to economic growth. “States that have done the best jobs of providing good funding for education are the ones that tend to grow faster and to have stronger economies over a long period of time,” he said. “Economic development requires a strong program of lifelong learning.”

IU has already provided research, planning and training to many enterprises, said Warner, and there are many other opportunities for the university to be involved in economic growth. Nevertheless, the university runs the risk of being hamstrung if it does not expand its notion of education. “We as the university are set up to offer degree programs,” she said, “but this is not necessarily what adult learners are seeking. Adult learners are seeking access to certification, professional development and personal enrichment. As an institution, we need to think about how we are going to evolve our system. We must understand that the learners who attend our institutions are not full-time students and are not necessarily coming for a degree. They want quick, thoughtful service, high customer contact and meaningful learning.”

In addition to the keynote speakers, this year’s Richey Symposium featured several breakout sessions that continued the economic development theme. Presenters included John Grew, director of financial research and analysis in the Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at IUPUI; Chris Payne, director of information technology training and education at University Information Technology Services; Kevin Knerr, director of the IU Conference Bureau; and Miche Grant, a workforce development consultant who has worked extensively on economic development initiatives in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

“The Richey Symposium’s focus on economic development was rewarding for two principal reasons,” said SCS interim dean Judy Wertheim, “It gave us, as continuing educators, information and resources that will help us do our jobs better. In addition, it confirmed the value of the School of Continuing Studies’ role in educating Indiana’s citizens. We look forward to continuing to serve the lifelong educational needs of Indiana’s workers.”

The Robert W. Richey Symposium is an annual professional development program for faculty and staff of the IU School of Continuing Studies. The symposium is named for the school’s first dean.
http://scs.indiana.edu