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As business leaders representing every sector of the economy, Business Roundtable members know that the American economy thrives when U.S. workers have the levels of education and training needed to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow. Our country needs a world-class, skilled workforce to lead in global innovation, ensure future economic growth and drive job creation.

Unfortunately, the U.S. skills gap is real and growing. According to a Business Roundtable member survey, 94 percent of CEOs report that skills gaps are problematic for their companies. This talent gap affects all skill levels – from entry level to the highly technical.

More must be done now to strengthen the education and training pipeline serving youth and working adults so that individuals have the skills needed to be prepared to work and build sustainable career paths.

Employers, Teachers Step Up for Common Core

The POLITICO headline, "Big Business Takes on Tea Party over Common Core," elevates political conflict over the subtantive nature of the debate, but such is the nature of the journalistic beast, and well, the political beast. The reporting is solid.

Business, Industry Groups Advance Efforts to Close the “Skills Gap”

More than 20 business and industry organizations met today to share plans to ensure workers have the knowledge and skills they need to work in the modern economy. Convened by ACT Foundation and the Business Roundtable, the National Network of Business and Industry Associations is coordinating cross-sector efforts to close the “skills gap.”

Business Takes the Lead in Connecting the Schools

Business Roundtable companies are leadersin connecting schools to high-speed Internet.

'Year Up': CEOs Turn to Youth Jobs Program for New Hires

The CBS news magazine "60 Minutes" last Sunday profiled "Year Up," described by the organization as "one-year, intensive training program that provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships."

Tackling Youth Unemployment in the U.S. and Globally

Last week's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, brought in business leaders from around the world for high-level discussions on the economy, innovation, technology and scores of other important topics.

Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola, and WEF's founder, Klaus Schwab, elevated chronic unemployment among the young as an issue, asking the 120 global CEOs of the World Economic Forum's International Business Council -- which Kent chairs -- to join a new drive to reduce youth unemployment.

Beige Book Highlights Demand for High-Skilled Employees

A consistent theme runs through the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book, the Fed's economic overview: Employers are having difficulty fillings jobs that require highly skilled employees, especially those in STEM fields, i.e., science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

At the same time, that demand for skilled workers is serving to push up wages for those positions.

Key Stats on Education & Workforce - Data Sources

Unemployment Rate among STEM Occupations

Immigration Reform, Competitiveness and the Broader Context

Two Business Roundtable members make a compelling economic case for immigration reform.

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Committee Priorities

Improve U.S. K-12 Education

A persistent complaint by employers is that many high school and college graduates – as well as some adult workers – lack foundational skills needed in the 21st century workplace. These include, for example, analyzing complex texts, adapting to new technologies and problem solving.

Rigorous academic standards in K-12 English language arts and mathematics are critical to ensuring all students graduate from high school ready for college and the workforce. Business Roundtable supports the full adoption and implementation of high-quality education standards and aligned assessments to raise the performance of U.S. students. Business Roundtable also supports policies and programs that ensure all students read on grade level by the end of third grade.

Align Individual Skills with Employer Needs

Businesses increasingly have difficulty finding employees with the knowledge and training required to meet their workforce needs. This includes both technical skills – such as aptitude in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – and applied skills – such as leadership, problem-solving and communications abilities. This misalignment of skills exacerbates unemployment and stifles economic growth.

Business Roundtable believes a multifaceted solution, involving public and private players, is needed to address this skills mismatch problem. As a start, employers must send a clear, direct “demand signal” of the foundational attributes employees must demonstrate to succeed in the workplace; industry needs to sort out the large and chaotic world of industry credentials; state workforce boards and educational and training centers must understand job needs in each region and focus on helping students acquire the skills needed to fill those jobs; and human resources practices must improve across industry to identify competencies gained through valid credential programs and relevant experience.

Key Federal Legislation

Business Roundtable will continue to advocate for federal legislation that authorizes programs and policies that improve educational outcomes and help close the skills gap, including reauthorization of America COMPETES, the Carl D. Perkins Act and the Higher Education Act.

Committee's Recent Activities

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