Most Young People Entering the U.S. Workforce Lack Critical Skills Essential for Success

The above "numbing" headline is from a very thorough study showing:

Nearly three-quarters of survey participants (70 percent) cite deficiencies among incoming high school graduates in "applied" skills, such as professionalism and work ethic, defined as "demonstrating personal accountability, effective work habits, e.g. punctuality, working productively with others, time and workload management."

More than 40 percent of surveyed employers say incoming high school graduates hired are deficiently prepared for the entry-level jobs they fill. The report finds that recent high school graduates lack the basic skills in reading comprehension, writing and math, which many respondents say were needed for successful job performance.

Furthermore, when asked how their hiring practices will change:

• 28 percent of employers project that their companies will reduce hiring of new entrants with only a high school diploma over the next five years.
• 49.5 percent said the percentages of two-year college graduates they hire would increase.
• almost 60 percent said their hires of four-year college graduates would increase.
• 42 percent said their hires of post-graduates would increase over the next five years.

For further information on this study contact Frank Tortorici representing The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management at 212-339- 0231 f.tortorici@conference-board.org. For the full report, go to: www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2971. (Thanks to Dave Inscoe of the Carteret County EDC for this reference.)

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