Readiness of New Entrants to the Labour Force
A report concludes that high school graduates in the US are not being adequately prepared for the workplace.
Employers in the US say that high school graduates lack the basic skills that are essential to job success.
The 2006 survey - Are They Really Ready to Work - concludes that the future US workforce is "woefully ill-prepared for the demands of today's workplace."
Employers cited the most important skills in the workplace as being:
Professionalism/work ethic
Oral and written communications
Teamwork/collaboration
Critical thinking/problem solving
High school graduates were found to be deficient in basic knowledge and skills of English, mathematics and reading comprehension.
They were also deficient in written communications and critical thinking/problem solving, and in professionalism/work ethic.
The survey highlights the importance of education that delivers outcomes relating to professionalism/work ethic, effective communicating, teamwork and problem-solving/collaboration, as well as mastery of a relevant body of knowledge.
