February 23, 2007
February 23, 2006
LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said that investments in education, worker training, and economic diversification are critical for revitalizing Michigan's economy.
"Companies that are growing and innovating across the world won't wait for Michigan to catch up. And they won't invest in a place where workers don't have the skills that the 21st century economy demands," Granholm said. "Innovation and investment in people are beginning to come together to help revitalize our economy."
This month, Granholm has been traveling across Michigan looking at efforts that are already underway to invest in Michigan citizens and to diversify the economy. The governor met with students at Calvin College in Grand Rapids who are working to build a wind turbine that will provide power to part of their campus. And at Macomb Community College, Granholm met with students and workers who are learning new skills at the Turner Advanced Technology Center, which is working in a partnership with local manufacturers.
As she continues to work to bring jobs to Michigan, Granholm will travel to Washington, D.C. this weekend for the National Governor's Association 2007 Winter Meeting. Granholm will be taking part in a series of meetings on economic growth, the alternative energy sector, expanding access to affordable health care, enforcing trade policies, and investing in workers and retraining.
"Our nation's governors are all talking about innovation, and they are all fighting to make their states competitive in the global marketplace," Granholm said. "In Michigan, we want to lead the wave of change and not get left behind."
The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state through an affiliation with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. The address will also be available on the Governor's Web site on Mondays as a podcast for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.
Broadcasters Note: Governor Granholm's radio address can be accessed through Sunday evening exclusively through the Members Only page of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Web site.
Publishers Note: The text of today's address is attached.
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Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
February 23, 2007
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
There is just no question that change is happening across the country every minute. Our global economy is transforming - businesses are thriving in industries that didn't even exist ten years ago - and people are learning new skills and taking on new jobs.
So, to be competitive in this new global marketplace - and to ensure that Michigan's people can be successful in it - Michigan has to change too. We have to focus on being innovative and on investing in our people. Innovation and investment - those are two things I've been talking a lot about recently.
In fact, in the few weeks since laying out the next steps in our economic plan in my state of the state address, I've been traveling across Michigan to look at some of the ways we are investing in our people and innovating to diversify our economy and create new jobs.
Just this week, I met with students at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. They are building a wind turbine that will power lights and computers on campus. At Macomb Community College, I visited the Turner Advanced Technology Center, where they're partnering with local manufacturers to train workers and students in the latest technologies.
Harnessing the power of the wind can help us create jobs and become the alternative energy center of the country, while harnessing the power and talent of our people will help us create a workforce that attracts companies from across the globe. These are just two examples out of many where innovation and investment in people are beginning to come together to help revitalize our economy.
And my economic plan, frankly, calls for more investments in education, worker training and in economic diversification.
Companies that are growing and innovating across the world won't wait for Michigan to catch up - and they won't invest in a place where workers don't have the skills that the 21st century economy demands.
The truth is, we need to invest or we will fall behind. And that means we need to take action on my plan, we need to do it now.
This week I'm traveling to Washington, D.C. for a National Governors Association meeting - and let me tell you, our nation's governors are all talking about innovation and they are ALL fighting to make their states competitive in the global marketplace.
In Michigan, we want to lead the wave of change….and not get left behind.
Already, we are starting to lead a new charge of innovation that can again transform our economy. But our success depends on investing - more than ever - in our people and giving them tools and opportunities to compete and succeed in the global economy.
Thank you for listening.
