The event - the first for SLCC's newly purchased campus, slated to open for classes in mid-October in downtown Salt Lake City - provided a United Nations-like setting as to how the business and higher education communities can build partnerships to help Utah move toward an education-based economy, said Gov. Olene Walker.

"Utah has to have a serious discussion about funding education," added Walker, noting that she is busy preparing a 2004-05 budget, which will be tweaked by the state's next governor and the 2005 Legislature. "We must pay serious attention to and get our hands around this issue. The future of Utah will be determined by our K-12 and higher education systems."

Walker and Lt. Gov. Gale McKeachnie welcomed more than 75 participants and attendees to Monday's event, the first of two forums on higher education's role in shaping Utah's workers of tomorrow.

Utah Workforce Services senior economist Mark Knold presented an economic profile showing that the state is moving into an era when education will be not only rewarded, but also demanded.

"The greatest resource Utah has is its young population," Knold said, and that resource will lose its value if the state fails to provide students an adequate education.

Instead, Utah must retrain workers for a changing economy, Knold said.

That view dovetailed with several questions raised by Higher Education Commissioner Richard Kendell, who facilitated a discussion about whether Utah college graduates have the skills needed in the workplace.

John Hill of Salt Lake City-based L-3 Communications pointed to Utah's universities as the "lifeblood" of his business, a high-tech company that has hired 1,300 engineers.

"From a technical standpoint, they do pretty good," he said.

But Utah Partnership leader Jack Sunderlage noted that businesses are finding some science graduates lack communication and problem-solving skills. One high-caliber engineer, he said, had a "difficult time composing a sentence."

Even so, the consensus among Monday's participants found Utah's college grads can do the work. But they urged business, government and education officials to get serious about putting forward an economic plan for the future so schools can adjust their curriculums appropriately.

That may come down to money. And state Board of Regents Chairman Nolan Karras noted that the highest-demand college programs - math, science, engineering and health care - also tend to be the most expensive.

"It's a concern," Karras said.

sykes@sltrib.com