BOSTON, MA—On September 19-20, top corporate,education, and
workforce policymakers came together to address the failure to prepare
the nation for the demands of the knowledge-based, global economy
of the 21st century. Through a dynamic, interactive forum, town
hall-style gatherings, and addresses by prominent policymakers,
100 business and government leaders discussed how we can restore
the “American dream.” Participants emerged with concrete
strategies and resources to help provide more young people and adults
with a better education and better careers.
The two-day event, called The Fate of the American Dream:
A National Forum on Strengthening Our Education and Skills Pipeline,
was sponsored by Jobs for the Future, Ford Motor Company Fund,
and eight other national corporations. At the conclusion, Ford
made a commitment to help launch a follow-up meeting in 2006 to
build on the forum and to develop “on-the-ground”
efforts to better integrate corporate initiatives into the mainstream
of education reform efforts in targeted states.
The forum concluded with JFF’s release of Education
and Skills for the 21st Century:
An AGENDA for ACTION. The Agenda looks at how
the nation can take advantage of today’s best innovations
and new models to rebuild and extend the education pipeline for
tomorrow’s needs.
“The American Dream is at risk for far too many citizens,
especially for minorities, immigrants and low-income families,”
says JFF President and CEO Marlene Seltzer. “In response,
we brought together top corporate, education, and workforce leaders—decision
makers who have the ability to break down the walls that interfere
with meaningful change. Our goal is to address this failure and
offer concrete strategies and resources to restore the American
dream for millions of Americans.”
William H. Donaldson, a former chairman of the federal Securities
and Exchange Commission, opened the forum. “This education-and-skills
pipeline is leaking badly,” said Mr. Donaldson. He stressed
the cost “to individuals in our labor force and of course
to the business and government institutions of our economy, and
it is ultimately, in my view, an unacceptable cost for our entire
society.”
In her keynote address, Patty Stonesifer, president of the Seattle-based
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, stressed that companies can
help spur change by combining their business acumen with charitable
giving and by forging strong partnerships between the government,
education, business, and nonprofit sectors. “There’s
an old African proverb that I have on my desk that says a lot
about partnerships,” said Ms. Stonesifer. “If you
want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Other highlights of the forum included:
- Strengthening America’s
Education and Skills Pipeline in the 21st Century. This Fred Friendly Seminar, moderated by Charles Ogletree of
Harvard Law School, explored the tensions and trade-offs confronting
employers in need of skilled workers and the education and workforce
systems that must meet those needs. Panel included Stanley
S. Litow, Vice President, IBM Corporation; Calvin Butts, President, SUNY College at Old Westbury,
and Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church; David Wessel,
Wall Street Journal; Jeanne Shaheen, former
Governor of New Hampshire and Director, Institute of Politics,
Harvard; Jerry Jasinowksi, President, Manufacturing
Institute, National Association of Manufacturers; and others.
- “Town Hall” Discussion
with Corporate & Government Leaders: Facilitated
by David Gergen, Harvard Public Service Professor
of Leadership and asst. editor of US News & World Report.
Panel included Rep. Howard P. Buck McKeon (R-CA),
Chair, House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness; Maria
Tukeva, Assistant Superintendent, DC Public Schools,
and Principal, Bell Multiculural Senior High School; Darla
Marburger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office
of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Dept. of Education; Melanie Holmes, Senior Vice President, Manpower
Inc.; and Guy Patton, President, Fidelity Outsourcing
Services Inc.
- Presentation of the Arthur
H. White Making a Difference Awards, recognizing
four extraordinary individuals from organizations in Los
Angeles, CA, San Jose, CA, Hartford,
CT, and Boston, MA, who have improved
the lives of people in their communities.
The forum was built on the premise that competitiveness—for
individuals, communities, and businesses—comes down to skills
and how they are built, maintained, upgraded, and applied. How
well does the education pipeline meet such standards?
“Our education and skills pipeline is in need of significant
repair,” said Ms. Seltzer. Inefficiencies and obstacles
to smooth transitions to further learning come at great cost to
individuals, businesses, the economy, and society.
“Individuals—in school and in the workforce—must
shoulder some of the load when it comes to adapting to the rising
demand for skills,” Seltzer continued. “That said,
our institutions—and their policies—bear significant
responsibility. Business as usual—that is, educational and
workforce development reforms that tinker at the edges—will
not suffice.”
JFF’s Action Agenda specifies a number of concrete action
steps—for employers, the education system, workforce development
agencies, and state and national governments—in two major
areas:
- Accelerate Achievement and Learning: Create and support rigorous, high-performing learning institutions
that enable young people and adults to achieve at high levels
and advance rapidly to earning postsecondary credentials.
- Promote Lifelong Learning: Create and finance a workforce preparation system that yields
the skilled workforces our businesses and communities need to
thrive today and in the future, continuously advancing individual
skills to meet the shifting demands of today’s workplaces.
“Hurricane Katrina has thrust the spotlight on the plight
of the poor in our nation’s cities—these people and
hundreds of thousands of others need good jobs,” said JFF
President and CEO Marlene Seltzer. “The Forum and its accompanying
Action Agenda provide a roadmap for the changes needed to make
opportunities available to those who need them most.”
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Founded in 1983, Jobs for the Future is a leading innovator in
strategies to accelerate education and career advancement for
both young people and adults. Jobs for the Future provides research,
consulting and technical assistance on education and workforce
development issues to public and private organizations throughout
the United States and abroad. For more information on JFF, please
visit the Web site at www.jff.org.
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