America’s Workforce

Written by
Michael A. Robinson

Today, America’s workforce is unable to meet the demands and expectations of local or global corporations and in 1985 according to Gallagher (2005) only 25 percent of the population had a college degree, now two decades later that number has only risen to 27 percent. Given these figures there is room for growth and development of educational opportunities for American citizens. A highly trained and educated workforce has been directly linked by economists to a nation’s economic health and stability (Dickens, Sawhill & Tebbs, 2006). Dickens, et al. (2006) further suggested today’s business leaders are embracing the concept of human capital and believe ongoing investment in this area will become more important than investments in their physical capital.

What does this mean for postsecondary education? It may require colleges and universities, particularly community college to re-examine how they engage the nation of learners. Public institutions of higher education must be willing to become fully engaged participants in the ongoing shaping of this new postsecondary world (Hanna, 2003).

Hanna (2003) supposed if postsecondary education is to be successful in addressing the rapidly materializing challenges and demands of the 21st Century learner, there must be a willingness to modify institutional missions, goals, programs, operations and as outcome create a flexible and responsive institution. Failure to do so could have dire consequences for the less elite public institutions (Dickens et al 2006). Drucker (1997) said it best when he declared, "Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast” (p.45).