Panelists examining the skills needed of today's work force included Thomas Wilson and Deborah Wince-Smith.
Workers today require more education than ever before. Of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2006-07 Occupational Outlook Handbook, only three list short-term, on-the-job training as the most significant source of post-secondary education or training. Most require more: Eight require an associate's degree, 10 require bachelor's degrees and two require doctoral degrees. Yet American high schools are not adequately preparing students to meet these high standards. More than half of college freshmen entering two- and four-year institutions are under-prepared for college-credit coursework and must enroll in remedial courses in reading, writing and math. And U.S. students fare poorly when their performance on standardized tests is compared to students throughout the world. What subjects should schools be teaching? What skills should be taught? And what role should government - federal, state, or local - play in helping to advance these skills? U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is among those on this panel who will address these issues.
Global Conference 2013
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, philanthropist Bill Gates and Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Wireless discuss advancing prosperity in Africa.
