Career Center Millage A Sound Investment

I AT LEAST two c?ianges vh&h have occurred since Washtenaw county voters twice turned down a vocational education center favor successí in the third effort on Tuesday. One is the new "youth vote" which tends to approve such projects, and the other is the trend - perhaps only slight - away from the once popular view that everyone should go to college. " ' The proposed Career Center which would be built by the InterJmediate School District is designled to serve the some 74 per cent lof county high school ,students jwho do not get a degree from a jfour-year college. It would palpare them to enter the job market lor spur them toward further trainjing in avocation at Washtenaw jCommunity College. Some good questions have been raised about the one-mill proposal on Tuesday's ballot: whether this isn't a job for WCC, whether the high school dropout will really be "saved" by the program. The problem of transportation from county high schools to a "central" career center has been cited, and jit has been asked if the center Jwon't duplícate existing, although jperhaps inadequate, vocational jfacilities at area schools. I The last question bothered us Juntil we considered the overIwhelming support for the project Iby area school superintendents. JWe have to put some faith in their Ijudgment. Twenty-six other [Michigan counties already have Career Centers, and three are in ' the"pïknmng stages or under cönstruction. Transportation and the time wasted in busing is a problem, but there doesn't seem to be any way around it. A central facility offering a broader program and teachers with greater tions certainly can be a better I vestment than limited vocational training at a number of high schools. The schools think they can work out the scheduling without too much trouble. ] ONE CAN ARGÜE that the community college should assume the tasks to be assigned to the Career Center, but the community colleges have been working with the post-high school age group. Something is needed to catch the potential dropout at an earlier age, and we ought to be doing our best to channel youths into vocations where they are needed and can find jobs. j Putting aside the most impor' tant goal of trying to steer more youths into paths toward productive lives, there is a selfish reason for supporting Tuesday's two ballot proposals. In our view the one-mill tax will cost less in the long run than all we are paying for the social ills that go with joblessness, whether it's street I crime, welfare or rehabilitation j programs. We'd rather see the tax on I something besides property, but I that option isn't available. I The News urges a "Yes" vote I on the Career Center Tuesday I