In 2007, Wheeling, Illinois faced a labor shortage and an aging workforce. With purposeful communication with local employers, District 214 recognized that the local talent pool did not have the necessary skills and training needed to fill jobs in the community. District 214 launched the Career Pathways Program in their high schools with the help of universities, businesses, and other community leaders.

Congress last week passed and the president today signed legislation reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides important funding for programs focused on the academic, career, and technical skills development for high school and higher education students. Highlights of the reauthorization include new opportunities for partnerships between employers and educators to improve student preparation for in-demand jobs, measures that improve alignment with other workforce development programs, and increased program accountability.

Over the past 10 years, the state of Georgia has aggressively invested in linking public education with the needs of industry by creating a statewide network of 46 College and Career Academies, while significantly expanding dual enrollment, industry apprenticeships, and post-secondary opportunities for high school students. These opportunities allow students to obtain industry credentials for quality, in-demand jobs that meet the needs of each community’s workforce. 

How do you pitch giving back as good business? And how do you make a financial services company care—really care—about making a dent in early childhood education, an issue that doesn’t show up anywhere on the balance sheet? These were the questions that the leaders of the PNC Foundation had to answer if PNC was going to play a huge role in improving early childhood education in the communities they serve. The research was clear and irrefutable. The benefits of quality early childhood education are not only social, but economic, with a benefit as high as $16 for every dollar invested. And today’s preschoolers are tomorrow’s workforce.