[DD] - "A Nation of Opportunity: Building America's 21st Century Workforce - by US 21st Century Workforce Commission

"A Nation of Opportunity: Building American's 21st Century Workforce by US 21st Century Workforce Commission

This article stated that every American worker needs a proper education and training in order to be successful in our ever-evolving technologically based economy.  Job security rests on the skills and knowledge each person has - and many of our students are lacking some the skills necessary to be employable.  As technology continues to evolve, new jobs are created, and old jobs are eliminated or changed making it important that workers can be adaptable and lifelong learners.

There is currently a lack of American workers who can read and understand complex material, think analytically, and use technology efficiently.  EVERY American youth and adult needs to acquire a proficiency in using technology.  It has been seen from the articles previously mentioned, that this is just not the case.  "American schools need to make a sustained and continuous improvements so that students are prepared for postsecondary learning and 21st Century jobs.

The US 21st Century Workforce Commission states that making technology access and Internet connectivity universal is an important thing that needs to happen.  The "Digital Divide"reveals significant disparities based on income, race, education, and geography.  This "Digital Divide" is causing pockets of high unemployment in rural America, small towns, and inner cities.

Our schools are currently being taxed due to the fact that there are more children enrolling in our nation's schools (due to increased population), increasing the pressure on school's capacities and resources.  The Digital Divide also "threatens to exacerbates the economic disparities that already exist based on education and other factors.  This is causing more people to enter the US workforce with poor basic technology skills which are needed to employment nowadays.

The workforce commission also states that America needs curriculum aligned with tech skills starting in elementary schools so that students have the foundation necessary to build on these skills later in their education.  They also need access to technology and Internet (especially in rural and urban areas) that these inhabitants are not separated from the information economy and workforce.

As can be seen in this article, the current Digital Divide is causing these students to be a disadvantage once they graduate from school.  They are unable to secure a job since the majority of all jobs in the US require a certain level of technology skills.

Click here for the link to the article.