California Population Slows, Again – Worker Shortage Seen

Posted on December 21, 2006
Filed Under Public Policy |

Yet another news story about the state of education in California, although this one in the form of a story on how California’s population growth is slowing as people leave the state for opportunities and cost of living. The reporter on this piece points out that the state’s supply of college-educated workers is in doubt, but I would add that it’s not just college-educated that matters but qualified as well.

While we’re on the subject, not every kid is going to get a college education or put it to work for that matter, so the recent election that saw passage of a bond measure devoted to vocational training is a step in the right direction. Irrespective of what your views on college level education, the fact of the matter is that the world still requires cabinetmakers, steelworkers, electricians and tradespeople of all kinds – and these are proud jobs that pay well.

California no longer population magnet / High cost of living seen as culprit in driving people away: These changes could leave California without the educated workforce it needs, in part because of the widening achievement gap among California students. The Public Policy Institute of California projects that by 2020, the state’s supply of college-educated workers won’t meet the state’s needs, said institute fellow Deborah Reed.
I also want to draw your attention to a fascinating report that was recently published by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, a bipartisan and highly qualified group (check out the bios of the commission members).

The report, titled “Tough Choices or Tough Times” calls for radical overhaul of American K-12 education, including eliminating 11th and 12th grade, overhauling compensation and pension systems for administrators and teachers, and removing oversight from school boards.

Predictably, the plan was greeted by universal opposition from teacher unions and associations for school boards.

“Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce” (National Center on Education and the Economy)

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