Bill Thorndike, Jr.,
President
Medford Fabrication

Bill Thorndike, Jr. is president and chairman of Medford Fabrication / CSC, Inc. an Oregon company founded in the 1940's that offers a diverse range of metal fabrication, assembly, installation and finishing services with 80 employees at its Medford, Oregon facilities. As a businessman, Bill knows well how important it is to have an educated workforce. As a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the Oregon Business Council, the Port of Portland, Key Bank NA, and many other organizations, he understands how important education is to Oregon's economy.

"We have some serious challenges in our schools today and we can't just talk about fixing them anymore," said Thorndike. "Too many students are coming out of high school unable to read or do math at the levels employers need."

In fact, recent surveys of employers found that nearly one-third of Oregon high school graduates needed remedial course work to be effective on the job. In previous generations, workers could work in manufacturing jobs with little or no formal education or training. Today, many low skill manufacturing jobs are being sent overseas and workers here are being required to learn computer skills and have knowledge of advanced math. "Even welders need to know how to read blueprints and do Trigonometry," said Thorndike.

At Medford Fabrication, the company is getting more involved in supporting their employees and schools by taking a number of actions. Employees are being given more flexibility with their work schedules so they can attend parent-teacher conferences during the school day, or volunteer to read in the classroom during the lunch hour. The company is offering its business expertise by supplying "on-loan" employees to support schools, and they are going to provide Job shadows and internships to reward local students who are working hard and showing an interest in their business.

"It isn't always easy to try something new," said Thorndike. "But we have to do more than talk about the problems in our educational system. It's time employers invest more of themselves in what will become their most important resource -- for their companies and Oregon's future."

Valuable words from a man who knows a thing or two about business, economic development and the role employers can play.