K-12 Education

September 19, 2019

Mounting Costs of Childcare in Washington State

To better understand the impact of childcare issues for working parents and the Washington state economy, the Washington State Child Care Collaborative Task Force and partners commissioned a 2019 survey of Washington parents by Elway Research and an economic impact analysis by Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis.

Economic Growth

Report Shows Economic Impact of a Lack of Affordable Childcare in Washington State

Jason Hagey, vice president of communications, AWB

September 19, 2019

The lack of access to affordable, high-quality childcare isn’t just a problem for families. A new report found that it’s costing Washington businesses more than $2 billion per year in employee turnover or missed work, and the total cost to the state economy tops more than $6.5 billion per year.

Early Childhood Education Oregon Roadshow

The U.S. Chamber Foundation Center for Education and Workforce senior manager of policy and programs Julia Barfield will keynote a roadshow of events with Oregon chambers of commerce highlighting the positive economic impacts of investment in early childhood education, as well as the unique challenges facing the business community in Oregon. This roadshow will preview U.S. Chamber Foundation reports scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2020 that will outline the economic impacts of childcare breakdowns on families, communities, and businesses for Oregon and three other U.S. states.

The Win-Win Solution for Early Education Infrastructure Challenges

September 5, 2019

Twitter Chat: Is Early Ed an Infrastructure Conversation?

On Tuesday, August 27, the Chamber Foundation partnered with Linda Smith of the BPC to host a Twitter chat discussing infrastructure challenges for early childhood education facilities. In a span of 45 minutes, the participants of this chat were able to provide more than one million Twitter accounts with data, research, and case studies arguing for early childhood education to gain a seat at the table where infrastructure conversations are happening.

Looking at Aptitudes Over Interests to Drive Career Pathways

Amy Lancaster-King, Director of Workforce Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber

August 29, 2019

Atlanta’s economy is growing rapidly. In 2018, employers created 58,400 new jobs, and the workforce increased by 2.8 percent. Demand for new employees also jumped, with more than half a million job openings in the metro area – nearly 10 percent more than 2017. But despite this tremendous opportunity, like other growing areas, the Atlanta region is competing for talent at home and abroad to ensure economic prosperity and competitiveness in the years ahead.

Postsecondary Education

8 Principles to Build a Strong Foundation for STEM Pathways

Shawn Hardina, Owner and Chief Change Fanatic, Innovation Tech, LLC

July 24, 2019

Successful career pathways are created through deep and meaningful coalitions of organizations. These coalitions bring education, community members, and business leaders together with a shared dedication to meeting society's biggest challenges in a responsible, sustainable, and profitable way. They blur the lines between formal education, community service, workforce development, and economic development.

STEM

How Qualcomm is Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

July 1, 2019

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 8.6 million STEM jobs in May 2015, with the highest jobs in software development, user support, and systems analysts. Despite the high number of jobs, the lack of skilled workers in the labor force allow these positions to go unfilled. To make matters worse, the existing STEM workforce lacks diversity among women and minorities, not representing the emerging workforce of women and underrepresented groups.

The New Normal: The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s Demand for Perpetual Learning

Talent Pipeline Management

May 22, 2019

The world is changing. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, and it is having an impact on everything, including the future of work. A significant evolution of the labour market is forecast over the next 10 years, and we do not fully know all the jobs of the future. Given the hyper transformation of technology, business models, and work, it is important to understand and anticipate what this means for youth, society, businesses, and government, so that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the digital economy.

Postsecondary Education

Workforce Training

At the Top of Their Game: Messi, Gates, Wooten share talent, opportunity, and environment to thrive

Scott Heimlich, Vice President, Amgen Foundation

May 9, 2019

Dr. Wendy Wooten engages her students in the labs of the Amgen Biotech Experience at Reseda High Charter School in Los Angeles

Given we all do play a role in shaping the culture of our organizations, teams and communities with every minute and every interaction – whether we intend to or not – how should we go about creating a culture that doesn’t just lead to innovative leaders, but that leads to growth and meaning and ownership in our young people in particular?

Postsecondary Education

Joining Forces to Mobilize Business on Early Childhood Education

April 25, 2019

On Wednesday, April 17, the U.S. Chamber Foundation co-hosted a Twitter chat with Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) to engage a broad audience in a conversation about early childhood education as a critical workforce issue. The goal of the chat was to engage individuals, advocates, and employers across the country in a focused discussion where we could all collectively share the data, stories, and research behind this two-generation challenge. We were thrilled with the turnout.