Harvard Report Questions Value of 'College for All'.
By Catherine Gewertz, Education Week. Published Online: February 2, 2011. Concentrating too much on classroom-based academics with four-year college as a goal, the nation’s education system has failed vast numbers of students, who instead need solid preparation for careers requiring less than a bachelor’s degree, Harvard scholars say in a report issued today. Leaders of the “Pathways to Prosperity” project at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education argue for an education system that clearly articulates students’ career options as early as middle school and defines the coursework and training required, so young people can chart an informed course toward work, whether as an electrician or a college professor. Their report arrives as experts are trying to define what skills are necessary for work and for higher learning. Learn more…
A case for trade skills.
By Raju Woodward, Gazette-Times Reporter. Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011. Skilled electricians, mechanics and other such valuable workers are nearing retirement age, and not enough young people are following in their footsteps to meet the demand for such services. Educators, legislators, labor officials and students met at Corvallis High School on Wednesday to hammer out ways to bring trades education back into public middle and high schools. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian, state Rep. Sara Gelser of Corvallis and Corvallis Schools Superintendent Dawn Tarzian were among those who aired issues and proposed solutions. Learn more…
Why does Fresno have thousands of job openings - and high unemployment?.
By Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post Staff Writer. Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Fresno. This city is grappling with one of the most troubling contradictions of the new economy: Even as it has one of the nation's highest unemployment rates, it has thousands of job openings. The dilemma is becoming more common across the country as employers report increasing numbers of job openings. But many of those jobs are not a good fit for those who are out of work. The reason, economists say, is that the recession accelerated the decline of some industries, such as housing construction, as others that require far different skills, including health care, emerged stronger. Some economists predict that this disconnect is likely to grow as the economy develops jobs that require more training. President Obama, speaking last week in his State of the Union address, said the nation is facing a new "Sputnik moment" that demands a renewed focus on innovation and education to secure its economic future. Evidence of a skills mismatch became increasingly clear in Fresno after the housing bubble burst, causing joblessness to nearly triple. Learn more…
