As the presidential campaign heats up, the state of education in the U.S. is becoming a hot topic. Questions are being raised about whether our current education strategies are preparing a strong workforce or if instead we’re losing our competitive foothold globally. Through career development and training initiatives, businesses are making up some of the gap. But is it enough to keep American business at the top of their game?
A recent survey explored what American workers think about U.S. education and career training. It found that 56 percent of the workers surveyed believe we are unprepared to compete in the global economy and 76 percent agree that employers are not investing enough in education and training.
Education here and overseas.
According to the Global Competitiveness Report ’06-’07, released by the World Economic Forum, the U.S. has fallen from first to sixth place in the ranks of the world’s most competitive economies. A country that once was on top of the world in terms of economic competitiveness is now lagging behind. In the field of engineering, for example, China and India combined have over a million new graduates per year compared with only 70,000 in the U.S. From a business perspective, this lack of trained talent leads to seeking resources from overseas as opposed to recruiting individuals from our own backyard. This year’s allotted 85,000 employer requests for H1B visas for skilled foreign laborers were exhausted in the first few hours.
Job skills training and education in China and India aren’t optional or substandard – in fact, they are well developed. In 1993 it became required for local governments in China to invest a great deal in vocational education, and in 1995 a “Vocational Education Law” was passed. In India, training is imparted in 32 engineering and 22 non-engineering trades to those ages 15 to 25.
Employees and employers taking the initiative.
If training and education doesn’t become a priority in the U.S. as it has in other countries, it will only weaken the workforce and our competitiveness. With Baby Boomers slowly transitioning out of the workforce and technological advancements being made daily, a whole new generation of workers will need to fill the ranks. |
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Initiatives can be taken by workers and businesses to enrich education and training. An individual’s career is a tremendous investment and, just like physical and fiscal health, it should be taken care of as such. It’s fundamental to stay atop industry trends and maintain personal competitiveness. Ultimately, American workers are responsible for maintaining their competitive advantage.
Through their training strategies, businesses have the ability to mold their workforce to be competitive in their sectors. It is important for businesses to recognize the value of investing in training. If an organization does not provide training at the moment, there is no time to waste. It’s now a business standard and job seekers pursue organizations with set career-development strategies. Well-trained workers will choose to work at companies where they know professional growth is a priority – and they will choose to leave organizations that don’t provide such opportunities.
Moving forward.
According to the Strong American Schools initiative, just 40 years ago America ranked first in the world for high school graduation rates – today we are nineteenth. What has changed in 40 years that has taken our country down to this level educationally? Lack of education and workplace preparedness is putting the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage, and politicians, businesses and American workers are all taking notice.
Workplace education and training should be a top priority for businesses and individuals alike. Ignoring professional and personal development is not an option – top talent is out there and businesses are uncompromising on skills. It may be impossible to change the way traditional education has affected today’s workers, but it is possible to be proactive in business and local educational initiatives to build a brighter, more equipped American workforce that can compete and succeed globally.
To learn more about how to engage and retain employees through innovative career development solutions, contact LHH today at 1.800.611.4LHH or visit www.lhh.com.
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