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Comer Speaks at WKCTC Economic Symposium

Comer Speaks at WKCTC Economic Symposium
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By Tim Brockwell
Apr. 18, 2019 | PADUCAH
By Tim Brockwell Apr. 18, 2019 | 01:52 PM | PADUCAH
U.S. Congressman James Comer visited Paducah Thursday morning to talk with local business and industry leaders about local economic development issues.

Comer spoke to a large crowd at West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Emerging Technology Center as part of the school's Regional Economic Development Symposium. Other speakers at the event included Bob Quick, President and CEO of Commerce Lexington, Inc.; and University of Kentucky College of Law Assistant Dean Danny Murphy, Jr.

WKCTC President Dr. Anton Reece said one of the biggest problems facing the local economy is the number of area jobs that go unfilled because of a lack of suitable candidates. Comer spent much of his time addressing this issue, and explained how technical schools play a vital role in training students to have the marketable skills needed to go directly into the workforce.

Comer said the traditional path of a four-year degree has left many graduates saddled with debt and unable to find jobs that pay a living wage. He said more and more young people are choosing to go into trades like welding and carpentry, which are in high demand.

"We obviously have a shortage of skilled labor. We have a shortage of workers in every field. In my congressional district there are 2000 advertised openings for welders right now. If you live in poverty, and you get a certification to be a welder, you will get out of poverty pretty quickly," He said. "We're trying to get more young people in school to focus on a career, to focus on being career ready when they graduate, and I just can't say enough good things about West Kentucky Community and Technical College."

Comer said the availability of skilled labor is one of the main things companies look for when considering where to locate factories and other facilities. 

"If you have a community today and you can demonstrate to a prospect that you have a readily available skilled workforce that can pass a drug test, you can recruit industry." He said. "I think that as we move forward to try to grow the economy and focus on economic development in this region, we need to rely heavily on the infrastructure here to be able to train the next generation of workers, and be able to update the skills for the existing industries that we have."

Comer also talked about how the ongoing trade war with China has hurt some local businesses, but said it's something he thinks is necessary to help level the playing field with the world's largest economic power.

"We had hoped this trade war would be ended by March, obviously it's April and getting really close to Derby, which is in May, so that's not what we wanted to see. I think even though we're all experiencing short term pain, I think there will be a long term gain as we move forward because this is a battle that needed to happen." Comer said, adding that China's policy of currency manipulation has put American companies at a competitive disadvantage for decades.

In the end, it's well-paying manufacturing jobs that Comer says will be most instrumental in revitalizing local rural communities. Those types of jobs have all but vanished in some areas, but he said an agreement that is more favorable to the United States may help bring some of those positions back.

"We have to make things in the United States. We can't just outsource everything," Comer said. "We have to make some of the goods and supplies that we consume in the United States, or we're gonna be in trouble. I believe that if we don't get a free fair trade agreement with China, that it was going to be more difficult for good paying manufacturing jobs to happen in the United States."
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