Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2017 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM EDUCATION PAMELA GIBSON, FTCC Dean of Engineering and Applied Technology. COMMENTS? Edi- tor@upandcomingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200. FTCC offers solutions in meeting the skills gap by PAMELA GIBSON Carolina tax reform sets pace by JOHN HOOD Across the nation and in North Carolina, manufac- turers and trades industries are facing daunting work- force shortages. Several factors have contributed to this gap in the skilled fields: many skilled workers are aging and retiring, creating a need for a replacement workforce; technological advances and a growing economy have created new jobs; and a decades-long emphasis on four-year college degrees has steered many young people away from skilled employment. Many of today's young people are not aware of the opportunities in the skilled fields and leave four-year institutions with large debt and no marketable skills. At Fayetteville Technical Community College, the Applied Technology division offers certificates, di- plomas and degrees at affordable prices in many of these skilled fields. e Applied Technology division includes air-conditioning, heating and refrigeration, automotive systems technology, building construc- tion technology, carpentry, collision repair and refinishing technology, computer-integrated ma- chining, electrical systems technology, gunsmithing, industrial systems technology (a new program), plumbing and welding. Each of these programs leads to high-demand, high-skill careers. Compa- nies seeking employees regularly contact us, but we lack enough students to fill the demand. Many companies are starting to look to apprentice- ship programs as a way to attract employees. Appren- ticeship programs combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training. Participants work and earn a paycheck while they attend classes. Apprenticeship programs can last one to five years, depending on the occupation. Apprenticeships provide access to clear career pathways for employees and encourage loyalty in the company's workforce by demonstrating a desire by the employer to invest in their employees. As the result of apprenticeship, not only does the em- ployee gain the skills for success, the employer gains a skilled employee who has grown up in the culture and vision of their company. FTCC has worked closely with the State Appren- ticeship Program to provide apprenticeship training in areas such as electrical, heating and air condi- tioning, industrial maintenance and machining. is hand-in-hand relationship just got stronger this summer when the State Apprenticeship Program and the Apprenticeship Council transferred from the North Carolina Department of Commerce to the North Carolina Community College System. FTCC is excited about leveraging its Applied Technology programs to create more apprenticeship opportuni- ties to serve our community and our economy. To learn more about the many skill training pro- grams available at FTCC or about apprenticeship opportunities, call (910) 486-3930 or email gibsonp@faytechcc.edu. Don't miss the opportunity to register for spring semester classes. Stop by the Fayetteville or Spring Lake campus or the Fort Bragg Training & Education Center for assistance in enrolling in FTCC and reg- istering for classes. With over 250 programs of study to choose from – in program areas including arts and humanities, business, computer and informa- tion technology, engineering and applied technol- ogy, health, math and sciences, and public service – FTCC can quickly and affordably prepare you for a better future. Call (910) 678-8400, visit in person, or take virtual tours at www.faytechcc.edu for more details about what FTCC can offer. Preparing for a better future is a wonderful way to begin a new year. JOHN HOOD, Chairman of the John Locke Foundation. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200. POLITICS While reforming and cutting taxes, North Carolina has kept a lid on spending growth. North Carolina has already accomplished what Republicans in Washington want to pass – historic tax reform that caps or eliminates special-interest deductions, cuts tax rates and encourages invest- ment, business formation and job creation. e process began in 2011, after the GOP took charge of both houses of the state legislature. While then-Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue wanted to keep in place a "temporary" increase in sales taxes costing North Carolinians nearly a billion dollars a year, legislators refused. ey prevailed. With the election of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in 2012, legislative leaders had an ally rather than an adversary on tax reform. e ensuing 2013 tax bill initiated a reform process that has continued to reduce the tax burden by both cutting rates and increasing standard deductions. e net effect was to save North Carolina taxpay- ers about $5 billion from 2013 to 2017. By 2022, the projected savings will approach $10 billion. With regard to tax rates, the most dramatic change was on the business side of the tax system. Keep in mind that businesses are bundles of contracts among human beings – among owners, workers, customers and vendors. When the government taxes a business, it really taxes the incomes of some or all of these individuals, even if they don't realize it. Politicians and political activists often assume that corporate taxes, for example, just bite corporate shareholders. In the short run, investors may well bear most of the cost when corporate taxes go up. But markets soon adjust. Investors can move their money fairly easily from high-tax to low-tax jurisdic- tions. Customers can often do the same, particularly if they shop online or can shop around among com- peting products or places. Workers are the least able to avoid business taxes, because it can be so costly to leave one job for another – particularly if it would require leaving one community for another. us, many economists believe that workers bear most of the burden of corporate taxes in the long run. Before 2013, North Carolina imposed a 6.9 percent tax on corporate income attributed to the state. By 2019, thanks to tax reform, that rate is scheduled to fall to 2.5 percent. at's one of the lowest rates in the country. at will make North Carolina a more attractive place to do business – thus boosting the employment and incomes of North Carolina workers over time. As the state implemented tax reform, its economic performance has often compared well with our peers. In virtually every category – job creation, employ- ment gains and income growth – North Carolina has exceeded regional averages, national averages or both. at doesn't necessarily prove a causal relationship. Indeed, most of the benefits of tax reform couldn't possibly have happened yet, given the lifecycle of busi- ness investment. But pro-growth tax policies certainly haven't hurt. And, make no mistake, corporate tax cuts are pro-growth. According to the findings of the more than 100 peer-reviewed studies published on the issue since 1990, states with lower corporate taxes tend to experience stronger economic growth than those with higher corporate taxes. In Washington, both the House and Sen- ate tax plans seek to follow in North Caro- lina's footsteps by dramatically reducing the tax rate on corporate income. ere are many other features of the plans – some good, some not-so-good – but in fiscal terms the net effects aren't large. e real action will be slashing the corporate rate to 20 percent, a move likely to induce substantial flows of capital into America. ere remains one big difference between Ra- leigh's accomplishments and Washington's aspira- tions: fiscal responsibility. While reforming and cut- ting taxes, North Carolina has kept a lid on spending growth. Our state budget is in the black, not deeply in the red like the federal budget. Indeed, measured as a share of the state's gross domestic product, the government sector in North Carolina grew slower than the national average from 2013 to 2016 while North Carolina's private-sector economy grew faster than the national average. Our state has set a good example. Federal politi- cians should follow it. Participants in apprenticeship programs work and earn a paycheck while they attend classes.