Creating skilled
workers and higher-wage jobs by Harry J. Holzer
Holzer observes:
“There are many
reasons why American workers have limited skills. Though we send many people to
college, too few complete their programs of study. Among those who do, many do not obtain the
credentials that the job market values – including specific certificates as
well as degrees. Many students, especially among the disadvantaged, enter
college with very weak academic skills, and too little information and support
to succeed; and most attend community or lower-tier four-year colleges with too
few resources and too little incentive to respond to the labor market. (Many
others attend for-profit colleges that have other problems.)
Also, unlike what
occurs in many EU countries, our high school students receive too little
high-quality career and technical education or work-based learning that
employers might find valuable. Policies to improve completion rates in programs
aimed at high-demand sectors and expand strong career education would clearly
raise worker earnings.”
Challenges posed by “clustering” – cities with a high concentration
of human capital face an interesting new constraint in sustaining economic
growth:
Quality Concerns: Human Capital in Latin America