A new report –- "Across the Great Divide" –- released by Corporate Voices for Working Families and Civic Enterprises, in association with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, examines the perspectives of business and college leaders on the state of America's higher education, the skills gap and what is needed for the United States to be competitive in today's challenging global economy.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s National Chamber Foundation today announced the launch of a 12-city tour to promote and discuss the groundbreaking film, Waiting for “Superman”. The events will inform and mobilize business and opinion leaders about how to take action in support of public K-12 education reform.
Chamber’s ICW Issues Report Highlighting Link Between Early Learning and a Strong Workforce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce congratulated the 10 winners of the Race to the Top competition’s second phase: the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island.
Says Regulation Will Limit Americans’ Access to Education and Job Training, Have Chilling Effect on Innovation
Arthur Rothkopf issued the following statement today strongly opposing the House-passed funding cuts in key education reform initiatives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), as offsets to broader education funding, and encouraged the Senate not to include these cuts in any legislation they consider.
Arthur Rothkopf, senior vice president and counselor to the president, has announced that he is retiring from the Chamber at the end of July 2010.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign joined with Greater New Orleans, Inc. today for a roundtable discussion about the success of New Orleans’ education reform efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Today, as the U.S. Department of Education’s much anticipated Race to the Top winners were announced, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce congratulated both Tennessee and Delaware for being the only two states awarded the top prize, $500 million and $100 million respectively.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today urged Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) this year on a bipartisan basis and believes the Department of Education’s Blueprint for Education Reform: Reauthorizing the ESEA is an important first step in the process.
Last month, the online education provider Coursera announced expanded partnerships with 10 state university systems—the latest evidence that online learning is fast picking up momentum. Welcome to the world of “massive open online courses” (MOOCs), interactive web-based courses that allow colleges and universities to offer distance learning experiences on a large scale through video, open educational resources, and user forums. These massive courses, most of which are available to the public for free but don't offer academic credit, are on track to revolutionize the delivery of higher education, experts say.
Each June, as high school seniors across the country are celebrating their graduations and preparing for the next step in their lives, Education Week publishes its annual Diplomas Count report on high school graduation rates. This state-by-state report reminds us that even though graduation rates are steadily improving—to 74.7% nationwide this year, its highest point since 1973—there are still millions of high school students who leave school without a diploma.
As we look to the future and think about the economic recovery, we can see the widening of a skills gap where the education and skill levels of Kentuckians don’t meet the requirements and supply of jobs. The challenge of filling this gap will become even more acute as thousands of baby boomers retire, leaving well-paying positions unfilled.
American K-12 schooling is in need of major improvements, and business can play a valuable role in retooling school systems for the new century. Austin, Texas is a powerful example of a business community taking a tough posture with local independent school districts.
The Institute for a Competitive Workforce will hold its annual education and workforce summit on September 17 & 18 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. Details to come.
