McCann Technical School - Artisan Yearbook (North Adams, MA)

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MESSAGE F RO THE PERI TE DE T - DIRECTOR An increasing dilemma of recent years has been the concurrence of willing but idle manpower and vacant jobs. No one knows how many job vacancies exist which cannot be filled for lack of skills, but the inverse correlation of education and unemployment is indicative. Trends in job creation suggest continued expansion of employment in occupations requiring extensive education and training, and de- cline in employment opportunities for the unskilled. There is, in fact, some reason to fear that accomplishment of the full employ- ment goal through expansion of aggregate demand might be thwarted by bottlenecks in the skilled and highly trained manpower such eco- nomic growth might require. A truly free economy will offer freedom of occupational choice as well as freedom for investors and consumers. Freedom of occupa- tional choice is often a hollow freedom without the opportunity to fully develop potential skills and to have a choice of alternative em- ployment opportunities for those skills. Failure to develop skill potential not only threatens the individual with decreased employ- ment opportunities, but lessens his income and job satisfaction. The economy as well as the individual has a substantial interest in manpower development. Increased productivity of the individual adds to the goods and services available to society and speeds the growth and economic power of the Nation. Shortages of highly skilled personnel and educated manpower can slow growth rates and reduce national strength. Careful studies at numerous univer- sities have demonstrated repeatedly that the economic return to investment in human resources far exceeds returns to investment in capital equipment. The Nation can ill afford failure to exploit the promising investment opportunities of manpower development. The graduates of the Class of 1966 have been well prepared to take their places as contributing members of society, and with earning power to support themselves and their future families. There is no doubt that they will each make a valuable contribution to the eco- nomic growth of this Nation. To each and every one of you my sincerest wishes for a successful future and continual educational growth. H Walla

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