A highly skilled workforce is the lifeblood of any successful company, industry, or national economy. The U.S. has been the breeding ground for the world’s most innovative economy, companies, and products in large part because it offered a diverse pool of talented, highly educated workers. But evidence of a decline is surfacing, precipitated by three gathering trends: an increasingly ill-prepared domestic workforce … a steadily depleting stock of highly skilled and educated foreign nationals … and an aging population.”
The Problems We Face
The U.S. education system is not keeping pace with the nation’s changing education needs and is not providing students and workers with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the 21st century global economy.
For American students and workers to function successfully in the 21st century global economy, their knowledge and skills must be built on world-class academic standards.
Too many middle and high school students lack the reading, writing, and STEM skills they need to succeed in college, compete in the workforce, or even understand their daily newspaper.
Too many twelfth grade graduates never enroll in postsecondary programs even though about 67% of today’s new jobs require some postsecondary education or training.
More than 80% of the companies responding to a study conducted for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) indicate their members are experiencing a “shortage of qualified workers,” making it difficult for them to achieve production levels, increase productivity, and meet customer demands.
Talking Points -- Building a Solution for America’s 21st Century Learning System
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Establish a world-class learning system to enable U.S. students and workers to succeed in the 21st century global economy.
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Promote and support appropriate, validated, and rigorous world-class learning standards, assessments, and curricula for U.S. students in grades Pre K-16.
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Include applied learning in classroom teaching so students in grades Pre K-12 can see the relationship between what they learn in the classroom and what they do with this knowledge in the world of postsecondary education or work.
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Require high school seniors to demonstrate a mastery of nationally-recognized academic and workplace competencies prior to graduation.
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Require teachers in grades 7-14 to be credentialed in the subjects they teach.
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Amend teacher certification regulations to permit the certification of expert private sector volunteers, retirees, and retired U.S. military members.
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Provide federal financial incentives to the states to help them align their curricula, assessments, accountability systems, and teacher preparation and accreditation, and graduation requirements so they meet world-class learning standards.
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Strengthen career counseling for students in grades 7-12 to help ensure that graduates gain access to postsecondary schools or productive employment.
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Provide lifelong learning incentives to encourage all U.S. citizens to upgrade their knowledge and skills on a continuing basis so they can continue to work and be productive throughout their lives.