The Corporate Storyteller

When jobless rates are high across the U.S., it seems contradictory to report that many jobs go unfilled. But that's the case, and it's in large part due to a lack of job-skills training.

In an op-ed piece in the Seattle Times, a Seattle-area leader whose resume includes positions as a Boeing executive and deputy Seattle mayor, reports sobering findings of a recent study:
1) one-third of manufacturing companies experienced shortages of qualified workers even at the height of the recession
2) one-half of all new jobs created in the next seven years will require more than a high school education, and
3) the rate of high school graduation in the U.S. ranks in the bottom third among developed nations

Bob Watt advocates for increased allocation of resources for retraining of current workers, for K-12 education, and particularly among at-risk populations, early education from pre-school on. He says starting early is crucial to "lay the foundation for the skills businesses will need" in the future.

Do you agree? Tell us what you think the best solution is to improving job skills training.