Education molds leaders

Businesses must push reforms to ensure students prepared

Scott Wylie And Hank Baker

Published August 18, 2007 at midnight

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If Colorado businesses want a pipeline of skilled workers, then business leaders must become engaged in education reform. That was one of the key messages conveyed by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at a recent round-table discussion with a group of Colorado business leaders.

The round table was hosted by Colorado Succeeds, a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of business leaders committed to improving education for work force development and economic growth. The organization was founded on the premise that the business community has the obligation, opportunity and capacity to improve the state's education system in order to prepare every student to succeed in a competitive international economic environment.

In almost every other state that has been effective in improving its education system, the business community has been engaged to push for reforms. In the meantime, Colorado has been falling behind these other states in preparing students for postsecondary education or the work force.

Colorado's educational pipeline is riddled with leaks. Of every 100 ninth-grade students, only 69 will graduate from high school four years later, 40 will immediately enter college, and only 19 will graduate with an associate's degree within three years or a bachelor's degree within six years.

What's worse, the financial penalty for not graduating from high school is more severe in the United States than in most other developed countries, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The earnings of a 25- to-65- year-old high school dropout in the U.S. are only 65 percent of the earnings of those with a high school diploma. Many students who do graduate from high school are simply not prepared to enter the work force.

One approach to preparing students for the competitive work force is a renewed emphasis on career and technical education programs. Unlike vocational education of years past, today's CTE classes require students to work with their heads as well as their hands. The goal is to prepare students who have a choice of either attending college or entering the work force after high school so that they will be able to maximize their potential in either scenario.

CTE imparts important academic, technical and workplace behavior skills that are valued by employers and that highlight the relevance of school to students. Learning within a career-oriented context helps students understand the significance of what they are studying. In addition, the vocational context engages students in learning who might otherwise not be interested in school.

As business leaders who often depend on a technically educated work force, the Colorado Succeeds Board supports CTE programs. Secretary Spellings praised Colorado Succeeds efforts, stating that CTE "is a great place for business to get involved."

CTE programs already have begun to respond to the demands of the 21st century labor market by becoming more sophisticated and offering a wider range of course work. For example, traditional programs such as carpentry have evolved into construction technology courses, which require grade-level geometry skills and an introduction to computer-aided design. In addition, CTE offerings now include forensics, engineering and multimedia communications.

As the business voice for education, Colorado Succeeds is committed to improving the caliber of the state education system and the competitiveness of its students. The business community understands that a well-educated competitive work force is the key to the continued economic growth and vitality of the state. Accordingly, business leaders must be committed to the success of our educational system.

Perhaps just as compelling as the civic responsibility to invest in education is the tremendous impact that our local education system has on the business environment. The quality of an education system directly affects a state's ability to attract employees and businesses; and employers benefit from the availability of high-quality education for their employees' children.

In order to accomplish its own goals and guarantee its financial stability, the business community must make a commitment to support meaningful education reform and provide its leadership and resources to those efforts.

Scott Wylie is the president and chief executive of First Western Bank and Trust and a member of the Colorado Succeeds board of directors. Hank Baker is the senior vice president of Forest City Stapleton. For more information, go to coloradosucceeds.org.

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