Obama's job advisers note skill mismatch
President Obama has a new report from his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. (Alert, it's a 4MB report). Initiative Five in the report will be familiar to Bridge readers: Matching talent to the skills needed in the marketplace.
"While the United States has traditionally enjoyed a competitive advantage thanks to the productivity of its overall workforce, a growing mismatch has emerged in key sectors between worker preparation and business needs," states the report.
Or, as Bridge Senior Writer Ron French put it two weeks ago, "(A Bridge) analysis found a troubling mismatch between degrees and jobs in many fields. For example, there are 15 percent more teachers currently produced at Michigan colleges and universities than there are annual job openings through 2018. There are twice as many communications/public relations/journalism bachelor’s degrees currently handed out as projected openings in the state; and 133 percent more new lawyers than jobs."
The report specifically refers to specialized training programs (incorporating private-sector leadership) in Minnesota (on advanced manufacturing) and New York and California (health care).
And it specifically calls for the expansion of entrepreneurship centers based on the model of the University of Michigan's work.
Clearly, though, Gov. Rick Snyder has plenty of room to maneuver on ideas to address the issue for his November address on talent and the work force.
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