Colleges and school districts must also begin to work more closely to provide cooperative workforce development programs across the learning spectrum. Public-private partnerships are required. Many colleges and universities have exemplary models of partnerships with business and industry. We should capitalize and expand on these models. To help educators anticipate trends and issues in training needs, large-scale partnerships should evolve among industries, trade associations, unions, colleges, and other stakeholders.
Planning is required.
Finally, we need to work together toward a comprehensive strategic plan. Planning at this level will not be easy, but the scope of the problem demands a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Distance learning programs and technologies alone will not solve all of our future education and training needs. However, if we agree to work cooperatively to involve all of the stakeholders, we can go a long way toward providing answers that can help us avert the coming employment crisis. Rich Gross is president of RDR Associates, Inc., a full-service consulting firm specializing in educational technology and distance learning.