November 2006 — News/In Brief
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Technology + Online + Industry + Partnerships
Employers Say US Grads Don’t Have What It Takes
A report reveals concerns over the newest generation of workers’ fitness for the global economy.
POOR REPORT CARD Employers
give new entrants into the US workforce
a slew of subpar grades.
IF JOHNNY CAN’T read, write, or do basic math, then he doesn’t stand much of a chance once he enters the workforce, which is precisely what a new report from a collaboration of business research organizations indicates. The report finds that the current pool of graduates from US high schools, vocational schools, and two- and four-year colleges lacks the necessary academic and more-advanced applied skills (such as professionalism and work ethic) for success in the world economy.
The result of a collaboration among The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management, the report is titled “Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century US Workforce.” It draws from a survey of 431 human resources officials and other senior executives conducted during April and May of this year.
The good news: The majority of respondents answered that high school graduates are sufficiently prepared for the workforce in the areas of technology, teamwork, and diversity. “All three are areas where business leaders, educators, and communities have focused uni- fied energy and resources in recent years,” says Donna Klein, president and CEO of Corporate Voices for Working Families. “These results suggest that when a particular skill is viewed uniformly as critical and is targeted, success and progress are possible.” However, the findings mainly reflect employers’ frustration over the lack of development young people demonstrate in more basic areas. Almost 70 percent of respondents said that high school graduates lack personal accountability and effective work habits— including the ability to manage time and workload. A majority of the surveyed employers also said that recent graduates lack basic reading comprehension, writing, and problem-solving skills.
“It is clear from the report that greater communication and collaboration between the business sector and educators is critical to ensure that young people are prepared to enter the workplace of the 21st century,” says Richard Cavanagh, former president and CEO of The Conference Board. He adds that an influx of underprepared graduates into the American workforce will affect the country’s ability to compete in the global economy.
Eighty-one percent of those surveyed said high school grads lack good written communication skills. Many (47 percent and 28 percent, respectively) found the same deficiency in two- and four-year college graduates.
Download the full report here.
