WASHINGTON – Despite the increased time and attention being spent on raising standards in education, the nation’s workforce still faces a critical skills shortage—particularly in the STEM fields—largely because youths are spending too much time with technology that deprives them of real-world experience.
However, the situation can be turned around if more investments are made in youth programs that feature certain elements, such as real-world applications, role models, and mentors, and if more time is spent outside as opposed to indoors with computers.
That was the heart of the message that Rick Stephens, personnel chief for aerospace giant Boeing Co., delivered Monday during a forum titled “The Business of Education: Avoiding a Skills Gap” at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
“No question that we need academic standards and that accountability is important,” Stephens said. “But accountability cannot be left to schools alone.”
Rather, he said, a range of groups and individuals, from business leaders to higher education leaders, must work to create an educational environment for students to learn practical skills that will enable them to compete for today’s jobs.
Stephens made his remarks just before he was to attend a closed-door roundtable at the White House with other CEOs to discuss industry-led efforts to transform America’s education system.
At that meeting, Bank of America announced a $50 million, three-year pledge to help support education, including programs that bridge the achievement gap to post-secondary education completion and connect individuals to “workforce success” in high-growth sectors, particularly through community colleges.
