Archived Content

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.

BRT Letter on H.R. 5, The Student Success Act

On behalf of America’s business leaders, I am writing to express our concern with H.R. 5, The Student Success Act, legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Community Colleges: Affordable Excellence

Former Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and BRT President John Engler see the value of community colleges.

Reauthorizing Elementary and Secondary Education Act Important for U.S. Competitiveness, America’s Business Leaders Say

Business Roundtable issued the following statement on the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s markup today of H.R. 5, The Student Success Act, legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Education: Mediocrity is Not An Option

A new study on teacher training programs found that less than 10 percent earned a three-star rating.

Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Critical to Future U.S. Competitiveness

Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, issued the following statement on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee’s approval yesterday of Strengthening America’s Schools Act (S. 1094), legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Immigration Reform: Good for the Nation, Good for Business

Gary Loveman, President and CEO of Caesars Entertainment, discusses immigration reform on the Nightly Business Report.

CEOs Leading on Talent, Education and Training

Writing at The Huffington Post, Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart and a partner at Learn Capital, takes a look at what three CEOs (all Business Roundtable members) are doing in terms of talent, education and training.

Letter to Senate Sponsors of 'Student Right to Know Before You Go Act'

On behalf of the members of Business Roundtable – an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with more than $7.3 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 16 million employees– we want to express our support for the “Student Right to Know Before You Go Act,” which, for the first time, will enable students to make critical decisions related to their education based upon the facts—not assumptions, perceptions, or deceptions.

The Case for Common Core

Conservative education reformer Chester Finn makes the case for the Common Core State Standards. A round-up.

Nothing to Fear: Michael Gerson on Common Core State Standards

Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson says Republicans should get behind Common Core State Standards.

Pages

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