Inviting youth to pursue
gold- and green- collar jobs
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Following the theme of ‘Unlimited Possibilities,” Walter Ridlon, tech prep coordinator with Central Maine Community College, spoke at the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner on the unlimited opportunities today’s youth have in what he called “gold-collar jobs.”
Ridlon said such jobs are necessary to keeping every community functioning and it was important to encourage youth, who are interested in pursuing careers in fields like plumbing, heating, mechanical and electronics, to do so. He noted that while white-collar and blue-collar positions often pull the next generation away from their hometowns, gold-collar positions provide them with good-paying jobs and help prevent out-migration.
“We have untold value in our children. It’s a matter of getting them to realize they have all kinds of possibilities if they further their education,” said Ridlon.
He noted how times have changed and with those changes, people have had to adapt. Once young adults with little or no education could find a good job, but as the world has evolved, so too has the need for higher education.
“Pre-1900s, there was agricultural work; when the 1900s arrived, we had the industrial revolution; by the 1950s, we began to see growth in technology; and when the 1980s hit, we entered the information age — computers, cell phone technology. Now we’re dealing with iPods, iPads, cell phones that do everything; it’s 2010 and we’re seeing new ways to communicate,” said Ridlon. “It scares me to think where youth will be in 10 years.”
Ridlon referred to the new generation as the “I generation” or the information generation. He said it’s up to institutes of higher education to continue to grow and offer courses that will allow the next generation to continue to grow and prosper.
“In order to keep up, educational systems need to change to keep up with them. We need to make students and parents aware of what’s out there for them. We also need businesses and communities to work together to get the skilled workers they need,” he said.
Ridlon credited the efforts of such institutions as Northern Maine Community College and the University of Maine at Presque Isle who’ve both expanded course offerings to include more modern technology programs — what he called “green-collar jobs” – jobs created by a shift to energy efficiency.
“Both campuses have taken the next step, with the introduction of courses related to wind turbines and energy production,” said Ridlon. “This is the kind of stuff we should be looking at for our children’s future.”
Ridlon said about 40 percent of high school students pursue careers that take them away from their home communities. He stressed the importance of creating a viable future for the 60 percent that remain.
“We need to find a balance. We need to be sure we take care of these people because they’re the ones who stay in our communities,” said Ridlon. “Economic development is key, but there won’t be any if we don’t consider how we’re preparing and educating them.”
WALTER RIDLON, central Maine tech prep coordinator of CMCC, was the guest speaker at the PIACC annual dinner Feb. 25, explaining the importance of encouraging youth to pursue careers in ‘gold-collar’ and ‘green-collar’ jobs, including the fields of plumbing, heating and wind energy.
