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America is in need of a new pathway to opportunity, one where employers, government, and learners share in the risk of talent development. Our current education and training systems are struggling to align to the changing workforce development needs of the economy, and there is a need for expanded leadership and investment from the business community. We need a new approach that will create shared value and more effective pathways to employment. Now is the time to act.
Although U.S. high school graduation rates are at an all-time high, many employees enter the workforce without the skills that are truly needed to succeed. Recent studies show that essential soft skills such as punctuality, organization, and interpersonal communication are just as important as the hard skills, which now are seen as a basic minimum necessary in order to operate in a particular workplace.
From Baton Rouge to Grand Rapids, Austin to Atlanta, and finishing up in Frankfort last month, our 2017 five-city childcare roadshow is complete. We brought together business leaders, policy makers, advocates, and practitioners to discuss the critical role of high-quality early education and care in advancing the workforce of today, and the workforce of tomorrow. The events were a great success and in each state, an energized business community is eager and ready to take the lead in advancing this conversation in their own community.
MAGNET, an Ohio MEP that recognized the growing need for high school graduates with STEM skills in order to sustain the manufacturing economy in Ohio, created an employer-led pre-apprenticeship program aligned with the Ohio Department of Education College and Career readiness graduation standards, and partnered with local public education and local employers.
A report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation explores the role of high-quality childcare in building a strong workforce.
The Aviation Community Foundation will host a three-day learning event for high schoolers in New York City, as part of it's broad efforts to build awareness of career opportunities in the aviation industry.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) believes that we can tackles the skills gap if our employers start taking a leadership role in ensuring their communities are prioritizing career readiness.
Opportunity is at the heart of the American Dream, and at the heart of opportunity is a job. When the right person fills the right job, we all benefit—families, neighborhoods, businesses. We all grow and prosper. Yet, there’s a disconnect in our country.
(Editor's note: this originally appeared on AchievingTomorrow.org)
