Компанию ANSYS, Inc. посетил генеральный секретарь министерства финансов США
The country needs more scientists, engineers and mathematics teachers, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow and local business leaders said at a roundtable discussion Friday.
On a visit to software engineering firm ANSYS Inc. at Southpointe in Canonsburg, Pa., Snow called on the U.S. education system to do a better job of producing better science and math students.
He said innovation, like the type demonstrated by ANSYS engineers, is the engine that will continue to drive the country's economy.
Snow also pointed to community colleges, with their flexibility to quickly create education programs to meet employment needs, as a needed bridge between employers and people searching for careers.
"Community colleges are becoming essential to the way our country functions," Snow said.
But Snow said there needs to be better coordination at the state and federal government level in providing direction to the thousands of community colleges throughout the country.
"It's got to be better organized," Snow said.
A variety of business leaders who met with Snow during a discussion organized by ANSYS, the Hazelwood-based Pittsburgh Technology Council and U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, the Upper St. Clair Republican, decried an education crisis which, for one, they said, is producing too few engineers for American business.
Ralph Pasini, a retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. who works as a consultant with Moon Township-based engineering firm Michael Baker Corp., said that this region has excellent engineering schools and students, but that Michael Baker struggles to find qualified employees.
He said the firm would pursue more employees in countries like India and Pakistan which are churning out engineers, but because more than half of the work the firm does is in the defense industry, it has to turn its back on most candidates from those countries due to security concerns.
ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, today announced that U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow recently visited its corporate facility. The event, arranged by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, provided a forum for business and political leaders to discuss how they can remain competitive in the international marketplace. Secretary Snow was joined by U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy, more than a dozen southwestern Pennsylvania tech firm executives, and representatives from the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
The roundtable discussion dealt with a wide range of issues, from grooming an American work force well trained in math and science to the pros and cons of outsourcing to the critical need for federal-sponsored research in the private sector to tax reforms that lessen the burden on businesses so companies can reinvest.
Snow said that innovation, like the type demonstrated by ANSYS engineers, is the "engine" that will continue to drive the country's economy. Congressman Murphy, who strives to better position the area to face the challenges of the new world economy, said that job training can identify and train workers and place them in the right careers that meet their skills. One of the main concerns of the business leaders, however, is the difficult time they have finding qualified employees, including engineers.
Snow's visit occurred on a day when the Labor Department released positive statistics on new job creation for February 2006. That same day, the Pittsburgh Technology Council - one of the largest regional technology trade associations in the United States - released its 2004 state of the industry report for southwestern Pennsylvania (the latest year for which figures were available). The council report offered a mixed picture, with the number of tech companies and jobs falling that year but wages rising for those who were working in the sector. Analysts blamed the dip on the bottoming out of the regional economy in 2004. The Pittsburgh area continues the sustained transformation of its economy, over the last two decades, from steelmaking to technology development and medical research.
"It is always an honor to host representatives from local, state and national government, as well as our colleagues in the region," said Jim Cashman, president and chief executive officer of ANSYS, Inc. "We're proud to be recognized for our innovation and contributions to the success of our region."
Joining ANSYS at the roundtable discussion were business leaders from Akers National Roll Company, Southpointe CEO Association, Auma Corporation, Atlas Design Group, TelCove, Canonsburg Hospital, WHEMCO Group of Companies, AMCOM Office Systems, Millcraft, Pennsylvania Transformer Technology, Testa Consulting Services, Inc., Pepper Hamilton LLP, Creehan & Co. and Michael Baker Corporation.
About ANSYS, Inc.
ANSYS, Inc., founded in 1970, develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and technologies widely used by engineers and designers across a broad spectrum of industries. The Company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for fast, efficient and cost- conscious product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with more than 25 strategic sales locations throughout the world, ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ approximately 600 people and distribute ANSYS products through a network of channel partners in over 40 countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, CFX, AUTODYN, and any and all ANSYS, Inc. product and service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries located in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark licensed by ANSYS, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE ANSYS, Inc.