GRAND RAPIDS ? In the past seven years, $360 million in research labs and hospital wings have been built in the Grand Rapids SmartZone, with another $500 million in new life sciences facilities coming on line, David Van Andel, CEO of the Van Andel Research Institute, said Wednesday. Trouble is, Michigan’s high schools and colleges aren’t training enough skilled technology professionals to fill tens of thousands of new jobs this building boom will create.

Van Andel made his comments before a packed house at the VAI where a panel examined how big the life sciences industry will grow in West Michigan in the decades ahead.

The Van Andel Institute alone will spend $150 million to add 280,000 square foot to the west side of the original 186,000 square foot building, Phase I, which opened in 2000. Construction is expected to be completed in 2008. Some 300 construction jobs and 400 staff jobs are expected to be created, Van Andel said.

Spectrum Health next spring plans to expand its children?s hospital. Also on tap is the Michigan Street Medical complex, a new science wing at St. Mary?s Hospital, an expansion at Metro Hospital and perhaps the Michigan State University School for Human Medicine, which may transfer from Lansing, Van Andel said.

With health care the largest employer in Kent County, employing some 35,000 people, the employment outlook has tremendous upside potential, he said. By 2015, another 100,000 new health care jobs will be created in the state, many in West Michigan.

The trouble is Michigan ranks 29th in the country in the percentage of its population 25 years and older with a bachelor?s degree or greater, which means the intellectual capital needed to fill these jobs could be lacking, unless some major educational reforms are made.

What?s more, after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, technical VISAs, that once brought 180,000 foreign technology professionals each year to the United States were cut to just 60,000.

Van Andel?s opinion was shared by Jeff Mason, Senior Vice President of Technology Development for the Michigan Economic Development Corp. He said the biggest need is to invest more money in math and science education in grades K-12.

So Michigan is faced with this twin dilemma: High schools and colleges aren?t training enough skilled professionals to fill all these new life sciences jobs and the State Department isn?t letting in the skilled foreign workers to fill the gap. Without major changes, tens of thousands of high paying professional jobs will not be filled, redarding the growth of the Michigan life sciences industry.