Report of the Business Education Roundtable Discussion Groups

September, 2006

      When asked to identify the biggest issue facing Colorado, 26 percent of the business leaders said education. Education-related issues were cited more than any other issue, including corporate taxes, employment, economy, budget, growth, and transportation. However, the definition of the education concern did vary by individual.

      Business leaders in each region of the state came to the same conclusions -- the skills and work-readiness of high school graduates do not match up with the needs of Colorado’s workforce. This was especially evident in how participants responded various statements about education.

      Employers were very specific defining the so-called “hard” skills lacking in entry-level employees, including examples of poor basic math, grammar, presentation, and oral skills. Employers cited these as daily skills needed to succeed.

      When asked how well our schools are doing at preparing high school graduates to enter the workforce right out of college, business leaders gave this statement the lowest score of four statements, rating it a 3.6 out of a possible 10 (where 1=poor job and 10=excellent job). Many employers had specific examples of high school graduates they’ve interviewed or hired who don’t have the skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.

      Business leaders gave our schools a 4.7 out of a possible 10 (where 1=doing a poor job and 10=doing an excellent job) for preparing students for tomorrow’s jobs. “Tomorrow’s jobs” could mean different things to different companies, but in discussion around this topic most companies could talk about specific skills needed now and in the future as lacking.

Read the full report here.