Economic growth and our state’s standard of living depend on our ability to compete in the knowledge-based global economy that requires college-educated and trained workers. Several analyses now show that the state is on a trajectory that will leave it far short of workers needed for national and international competitiveness. For example, the San Francisco based Public Policy Institute of California has estimated that by 2020, 39 percent of California jobs will require a bachelor’s degree, but the proportion of working age population with bachelor’s degrees will fall far short at 33 percent. A recent national report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce concluded that within six years, 61 percent of all jobs in California will require education and training beyond high school. Between 2008 and 2018, jobs requiring postsecondary education will grow by 1.8 million, far outpacing the increases in jobs for high school graduates. One likely consequence is that California will become less attractive to employers who require college-trained workers, leading to an exodus of middle class jobs, as California’s economy is overtaken by states and nations that are more successful in developing a twenty-first century workforce.

Posted: December 13th, 2012, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.