Jobs Agenda: Education

Priorities

No competition is tougher than the global race for talent. In every industry, employers are asking the same question: How are we going to find, train, and retain the best workers? The U.S. Chamber responds by working to strengthen our nation's educational standards and promoting effective workforce training programs.

The Facts

• Most U.S. 4th and 8th graders are not proficient in either reading or math.
• Thirty percent of U.S. students fail to graduate from high school in four years and the dropout rate is more than 50% for African-Americans and Hispanics.
• Many of those who do graduate from high school are unprepared for postsecondary education or the workforce. Once first in the world, America now ranks 10th in the percentage of young adults with a college degree.
• Ninety percent of the jobs in the fastest-growing occupations require some level of postsecondary education and training.
• Eighty million to ninety million U.S. adults today about half of the adult workforce do not have the basic education and communication skills required to get or advance in jobs that pay a family-sustaining wage.

The U.S. Chamber's Plan to Improve Our Nation's Education and Workforce Systems

• Require a Quality, Rigorous, and Well-Rounded K-12 Educational System
  • Reauthorize and strengthen the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to hold schools accountable and ensure better teaching, higher standards, better data for evaluation, and more innovation in our classrooms.
  • Strengthen the teaching profession by investing in better recruitment, professional development, and differential pay scales
• Increase Postsecondary Completion Rates Among All Students
  • Improve public accountability by requiring postsecondary institutions to provide clear and accurate information about the true costs of their programs.
  • Increase the annual number of U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college graduates to 400,000 by 2015.
• Train Workers for Jobs That Meet the Actual Needs of Employers
  • Collect accurate, timely information on industry and labor market trends to ensure that job recruitment and training systems meet the needs of employers.

Eliminate redundant and overlapping federal job training programs and give state and local policymakers flexibility in using funds.