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Give young people a chance to thrive

GUEST COMMENTARY

By JAMES THOMAS SHELL

Published: September 27, 2009

In reading Lamar Mitchell's contribution from Sept. 22, I would like to provide a different perspective. Mr. Mitchell is preaching to the choir when he goes down the laundry list of reasons why kids should stay in school.

But, I am here to bring you a truly teachable moment.

Our area has suffered economically for years and it cannot all be blamed on uneducated people. These people, who are already suffering, should not be treated like villains.

They worked hard and played by the rules that our area lived by for generations.

Local leaders did not stress education years ago. Cheap labor was the desire of Old Hickory's culture, and now we are paying the price for that Monoculture of Manufacturing Industries.

Who could not agree that having a 17-percent-plus dropout rate in our community is disastrous, but what is even worse is the loss of the younger demographic in this area.

Population numbers show that since 2000, the O-44 age bracket grew by a measly .38 percent, while the 45-plus age bracket grew by 14.34 percent.

The older generation grew 23 times faster than the younger generation. Does that seem healthy to you?

"Educational Attainment" statistics count people who have obtained a degree of higher education and are age 25 or older. If a young person goes to college, but does not stay in our area, then it hurts our attainment statistics.

Looking at results from ncreportcards.org show that area high school students are actually fairing quite well compared to North Carolina averages.

The question should be asked, what are we going to do to retain our best and brightest and entice the educated class to move to the Hickory area?

It is obvious to me that there is a lack of opportunity in this area for people with higher education. We have a real problem with job quality.

Many people with bachelor's degrees (or higher) are vastly overqualified for what they do. Young graduates can wait tables, perform other menial labor, or leave town.

We have seen the Brain Drain in this community that is associated with a lack of understanding and compassion for what the citizens of this community have truly endured.

If we are going to turn our plight around, then we are going to have to reconnect with the younger generations who can reinvigorate this community.

We need to present college graduates with possibilities for internships, apprenticeships, and other specific opportunities to rebuild Hickory and start a cultural Renaissance in this area.

Mr. Mitchell's commentary once again has an area leader focusing on the negative. What does our plight have to do with Obama, Bush or Perdue? Local leaders need to focus on transforming our area into a cultural bastion of excellence, where young educated people can thrive.

If this happens, I truly believe the drop-out rate, which has a lot to do with depression and despair, will soon begin to recede.

James Thomas Shell is a Hickory resident and a member of the Future Economy Council. The statistics he cites are corroborated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Western Piedmont Council of Governments.

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