In this new global and technology-driven economy, skills of the workforce are a company's major competitive advantage. Corporate, community and individual success in this new economy requires that our education system has to change. We can no longer afford a two-tiered educational system with rigorous preparation only for some of our students. Today's schools must prepare students for high-skills careers. The fact that our education system is out of sync with the changing nature of work has taken a toll on American business and higher education.
Stories abound of U.S. employers unable to find qualified applicants for entry-level positions.
Colleges report that 30 percent of their freshmen take at least one remedial course. 1 Until we address the mismatch between what and how students are learning in high school and what will be required to succeed in careers and higher education, these figures are likely to rise. It is also the product of a broad-based consensus among policy makers, teachers, researchers and others about the need to improve career planning and workforce preparation among youth, and the kinds of learning experiences that schools need to provide. It is not a categorical program offering long-term support. The Act provides seed money to States and local partnerships, supporting their efforts to create effective systems of transition from school to work that more effectively involve employers and community organizations.