If state leaders want to boost economic development, they should invest in education.

That was the message that three former governors gave Thursday evening at the Dole Institute of Politics Governors’ Roundtable.

Former governors Bob Holden of Missouri, Ronnie Musgrove of Mississippi and Bob Wise of West Virginia spoke of the challenges in educating youths for today’s global economy. Since leaving their roles as governors, all three men work in the education realm.

Unlike past generations of Americans who didn’t always need a higher education to succeed, U.S. workers are seeing many of their would-be jobs go to China, India, and Central and South America, Holden said.

The country’s education system is not set up to train everyone in higher-skilled jobs and the governments can’t afford the social costs for them not to be employed, he said.

“We don’t have the social net for those who do not go on to get a four-year (degree) or higher education,” Holden said.

Musgrove said part of the problem is that in the quest to boost graduation rates, schools have lessened the requirements to graduate from high school. A consequence, he said, is that fewer graduates are prepared for work or college.

Wise, who now works for a nonprofit education organization based in Washington, D.C., said one-third of all students who enter ninth grade won’t finish high school. Another third of the students won’t finish with the education required for college or a job.

The governors said a better education system means a better economy.

During Musgrove’s term in Mississippi, the average teacher salary increased and a program was implemented to put a computer in every classroom.

Those steps helped spark interest from Japanese automotive makers looking to locate part of their operations to the United States, Musgrove said.

The money pumped into education came at a time when the economy was sinking after 9/11.

“I’ve heard that we can’t solve education by throwing a whole bunch of money at it, and as governor of Mississippi I said, ‘Why don’t we try that just one time?'” Musgrove said. It was a comment that gathered laughs from the audience.

While governor of West Virginia, Wise worked on legislation that granted free in-state college tuition to any student in the state who made a 3.0 or above grade-point average and reached other standards.

Wise said companies want to locate in states that have a quality work force and education system.

“Our education program was the main economic incentive,” Wise said.

Wise, who also took over as governor shortly before 9/11 and saw the worst recession in the state since World War II, said he was faced with some painful budget cuts during his term.

“I knew we wouldn’t see the benefit, that we wouldn’t get out of the spiral if we didn’t continue to improve education,” Wise said.

Some of the suggestions the governors have for improving education included raising teachers’ salaries, reducing class size, having free preschool and increasing accountability for high schools under the federal No Child Left Behind program.