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Aligning Education to Meet
The Needs of Texas Employers TAWB EDUCATION PAPER 2014
By Tyane Dietz
ABOUT TAWBThe Texas Association of Workforce BoardsMembers represent the 28 local Workforce Development
Boards (Workforce Solutions) in Texas Majority of members represent the private sector (approx.
750 businesses statewide); all are volunteersMake recommendations on workforce development,
education and training from the employer’s perspective, in order to ensure a future workforce that will be ready to meet the needs of employers and grow the state’s economy
TAWB’s Primary Objective
Address employer workforce needs and labor market trends
on an on-going basis
Texas’ Economic HealthThe health of a state’s economy is largely influenced by
the composition and characteristics of its current and future workforce
1. Dictates the jobs and employers it can support and retain
2. Dictates new employers and new jobs it can attract
3. Dictates the standards of living enjoyed by the workforce
If Texas Were a CountryRanked 14th worldwide for Gross Domestic Product,
ahead of South Korea and Indonesia, in 2012
Texas competitive advantage will not continue unless we make significant changes in our approach to education and the preparation of the workforce
Ranked 10th worldwide for Gross Domestic Product, ahead of Russian, India and Brazil, in 2008
Skills Gap
A significant gap between an organization’s current capabilities and the skills it needs to achieve its goals. It is the point at which an organization can no longer grow or remain competitive because it can not fill critical jobs with employees who have the right knowledge, skills and abilities.
Fueling the Skills GapBy 2020:
1. 37% of the working population will be 55 or older2. Shortage of 1.5 million college graduates in the workforce3. The number of workers with a high school diploma or less
will increase4. The number of jobs requiring postsecondary education
and certifications will riseBy 2030:5. 77.2 million Baby Boomers will have left the workforce
Texas Educational Attainment• 19 of 100 Texas 8th graders complete a post-secondary
credential within 11 years; only 11 of 100 Hispanic or African American
• 50th in percent of people 25+ years who have completed high school or have GED (81.1%)
• 30th in percent of people 25 years and over who have completed a bachelor’s degree (26.4%)
• 41st in percent of 18 to 24 year-olds enrolled in colleges and universities (39.6%)
Projected Labor Force Education Attainment Rates
Expected Declines In Household Income
TEXAS FAST GROWING SCHOOL AGE POPULATION (Age 5-17)
Grew by 675,000 students to 4.9 million from 2000-2010,
In 2010 - 817,000 English Language Learners (17%) enrolled in public schools, 91% of those spoke Spanish
Between 2010-2050 - Projected to grow by 4.5 million to 9.4 million (91.5%)
Texas’ Changing DemographicsTexas will continue to see explosive population growth
35.8 million by 2040)
The percentage of the population 65+ will nearly double (18% by 2040)
Our population will continue to shift to urban areas
Hispanics will be majority in every age group under age 60
TAWB’S Conclusion:Our K-12 education system requires significant changes for Texas businesses to effectively compete in the global economy of the future.
TAWB’S SolutionEducate and prepare our future [and current] Texas talent supply to meet the current and future needs of Texas employers
Preparing Our Workforce
We must stop focusing on high school as the start and end point for the training of our emerging workforce.
Grades K-8 must be the central focus of education and workforce development
PRE-K TO CAREERS MODEL
1. Provide career path information to students from pre-K through middle school, and beyond
2. Renew focus on basic literacy and numeracy in pre-K and elementary
3. Ensure students read and perform math at the high school level before exiting middle school
4. Teach problem solving, critical thinking and working in groups
PRE-K TO CAREERS MODEL Continued
5. Stop teaching to tests
6. Curriculum is context based
7. Improve teacher quality
8. Expand Career and Technology Education (CTE) – Dual Credit and Industry Certifications
9. Expand STEM Pipeline
Other Recommendations
Postsecondary AlignmentDegree and Certificate Programs to Careers
Research and Investments to Job Creation and Economic Development
High School Exit Tests to College Entrance Exams
Business--Education PartnershipSchool officials across the country rank businesses and
business coalitions as the most important partnerships moving forward
Businesses outranked1. Parent Organizations2. Booster Clubs3. Chambers of Commerce4. Existing Community Partnerships
The Role of BusinessBusiness—Education Partnerships should develop and implement master plans for their regions
99% of Texas Employers surveyed said the government and educational institutions were not doing enough to prepare the workforce
49% of those employers said they had never contacted anyone to explain what it is they want from the education system
BUSINESS-DRIVEN EDUCATION SYSTEM
• Regional partnerships between employers and educators
• Organized by relevant industry clusters/sectors• Focused on education and skills demanded by
regional employers• Focused on an evolving and in-demand talent
pipeline• Focused on continuous process improvement
What Businesses Can Do Now1. Participate in career fairs2. Allow on-site field trips3. Teach subject matter when asked 4. Mentor5. Community Outreach – let parents
know what we need and will hire
OUTCOMES OF A BUSINESS DRIVEN EDUCATION SYSTEM
1. Produces employees with knowledge and skills needed by employers
2. Aligns curriculum at all levels with actual jobs 3. Creates seamless pathways to good jobs4. Addresses talent shortage5. Eliminates need for remedial education at college level6. Produces graduates with the fundamental skills needed
for lifelong learning7. Provides paths for up-skilling/re-training incumbent
workers
Education = Economic DevelopmentThe two most significant growth drivers for Regions
1. Talent2. Innovation
Regions with a competitive advantage consistently support innovation and
velocity of innovation
TALENT + INNOVATION= ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A Region will not yield the best if a region
does not cultivate the best
Thank You!
More Information can be found at
http://www.tawb.info/
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