Scholarships Meant to Aid Manufacturing
date: March 13, 2007
SOURCE:The Oakland Press
A scholarship plan aimed at encouraging students interested in science, math and engineering will go into the legislative mill in Washington, D.C., this week as part of an effort by Rep. Joe Knollenberg to help boost the fortunes of American manufacturers. He said he plans to name the proposed scholarship after Michigan auto pioneer Henry Ford.
"Henry Ford put the world on wheels and in the process built a strong America and a vibrant middle class. Mr. Ford was a visionary. We need more visionaries to keep up with China, Japan, South Korea and India," Knollenberg said.
"You know the facts. China is graduating 700,000 engineers and tech people every year. We're churning out 70,000. This is not sustainable.
"We've got to create incentives for the best and brightest to study math and science," said Knollenberg, a Troy Republican whose district encompasses much of Oakland County.
"This is the economic challenge of our time, " Knollenberg told his small audience, which included executives from several local companies.
"I like to refer to (my) district as the heart of car country," Knollenberg said. "Twenty-five of our top 100 automotive suppliers in the world are in my district."
Under Knollenberg's proposal, high school seniors who graduate with a 3.5 grade point average or better and agree to major in math, science, engineering or a healthcare related field would receive $5,000 annually for four years from the federal government to defray the cost of their college tuition. The scholarship would be capped at $20,000 per student, Knollenberg said.
"This will create a strong incentive for our smart young people to enter math and the sciences. We need more Edisons, Fords and Gates in America. I think my bill will help us develop more innovators and drive our economy forward," he said.
Chip McClure, Arvin-Meritor chief executive officer, endorsed Knollenberg's proposal.
During a discussion in Birmingham sponsored by the Detroit Economic Club on Monday, John Bruton, the European Union ambassador to the United States, said innovation is critical to reviving the Michigan economy.
Bruton, who served as Ireland's prime minister when it emerged as one of the world's most dynamic economies in the world, also said Ireland's economic transformation from an agricultural to a knowledge-based economy probably isn't the best model for Michigan.
Instead, the best model for Michigan's industrial and political leaders is probably Germany.
Germany, he said, is an industrial country that relies on constant innovation to remain competitive in the face of globalization.
Knollenberg also said he planned to introduce a separate piece of legislation that would offer every company in the United States a $200 tax credit for every employee who participates in a workplace wellness program.
In addition, employees who participate would get a $200 tax credit, said Knollenberg.
He estimated the wellness proposal would save domestic automakers nearly $40 million annually.