The Need

Schools in Washington State face an uphill battle. Not only are they having to serve more kids, they are given fewer resources to meet the needs of these students. With cuts in school budgets schools, particularly in rural locations, programs that are not seen as traditional classroom subjects are considered unnecessary and eliminated. Business Education and career preparedness are often among this group. However, recent research has shown that not equipping our state’s high school students with the critical skills to be successful in life once they graduate perpetuates the cycle of poverty and diminishes our competitiveness as a nation.

Students who graduate without adequate workplace skills are:

• More likely to experience long periods of unemployment
• Less likely to have health insurance
• Less likely to earn a living wage

In fact, according to a 2005 report in a leading business magazine, one in four workers in our country earn poverty level wages. But this is not for lack of well paying jobs. According to the latest Heldrich Report, there is a significant shortage of skilled labor in the United States. 57% of companies with greater than 100 employees face challenges hiring workers with adequate skills. And it’s only getting worse. If the shortage of skilled labor continues, companies will not be able to reach the levels of productivity necessary to stay profitable and competitive. This could have devastating impacts on the future of American business.