Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman speaks in Hope, Ark. The word from Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman is the link between economic development and vocational/technical education is a critical factor in the state’s future. Coleman spoke during a town hall meeting held at Klipsch Auditorium giving a brief introduction, then addressing questions from an audience of about 50 people. As founding CEO and president of Safe Foods Corp., an international food-safety company headquartered in Little Rock, Coleman’s background as a businessman played heavily into his decision to run for public office. “I’ve had people ask me how being a successful businessman qualifies me to be governor. I tell them it’s not success, but the agony of struggling in business. I know what it’s like not to get paid, to wonder whether I can keep the doors open, whether I’ll be able to finance health care for my employees. There are thousands of Arkansans living on the edge of that existence, right now. I want to help the people of our state get through that,” he said. Coleman largely attributed Arkansas’ rank as 49th among the 50 states in median household income to a lack of economic development fostered by the lack of a skilled workforce. He said industries are not locating in Arkansas, in great part, because skilled laborers, such as mechanics, welders, millwrights and heavy machinery operators, are in short supply. As part of his plan to build the state into “one of the most prosperous in the nation,” Coleman recommends “bumping vocational-technical schools near the top of the educational food chain” in order to increase funding and growth opportunities for those facilities. He also wants to increase the number of vocational-technical schools statewide. Coleman said three vocational-technical schools are in operation in the state, and “one you have to go to prison to attend,” he noted. In addition, he recommends partnering community colleges, which often operate vocational-technical schools, with high schools. “I’d like to begin a program in which community colleges interact with high schools. Thirty percent of Arkansas’ students don’t want to go to college. I’d like to see a curriculum developed where in the 10th grade, students can select a career path that may or may not require a four-year degree. I’m talking about putting shop back in high school—and by that, I mean much more than the common notion of shop,” he said. Coleman described his political position as that of a constitutional conservative Republican. He is originally from Texas, but has lived and worked in Arkansas for 52 years. While CEO of Safe Foods Corp., he frequently lectured on team building and servant leadership for University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton School of Business Emerging Leaders program. In 2010, he founded The Institute for Constitutional Policy. For more information about Coleman, visit curtiscoleman/meet-curtis-coleman.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 12:51:00 +0000
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