The Citi Foundation and College Summit, in partnership with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) yesterday launched a report on business engagement in education. The report details the importance of investing in human capital, both for our young people and to ensure the U.S. economy continues to thrive in the 21st Century. Indeed, as highlighted in the report, over the next decade the proportion of new jobs created across the economy that require postsecondary education and training is estimated to be over 60 percent, and this number is estimated to rise to 90 percent for occupations that are both high growth and high wage.
The launch itself, held at the Chamber of Commerce in DC, was attended by a number of speakers including Paula Harper, the Director of George Washington University’s Teachers in Industry Project; J.B. Schramm, the founder and CEO of College Summit; and Senator Marco Rubio. Senator Rubio talked of the importance of Career Technical Education (CTE) and highlighted a successful program in Florida where a high school worked in partnership with an auto-dealership so students were trained to become mechanics when they left school. The program helped support local business and created opportunities and jobs for young people who lived in the area and is a welcome illustration of the efficacy and importance of CTE.
The report can be found here.
David Beckett, Advocacy Manager