Yes, we DO need to prepare more kids for college
3/29/2012
This is something you hear often when people talk about students in high school: "Not every child is going to go to college."
While this may be true - and there is a need for vocational and technical programs in the public schools - many people are not aware that our nation is drastically under-producing college graduates. And the gap will only grow in the next decade.
According to a recent report from the Lumina Foundation, nearly two-thirds of jobs in this country will require a college credential by 2018 - just six years away. In Florida, about 36 percent of all adults have a college degree. You can read the report here.
The effects are already becoming apparent. With unemployment still high around the country, some are surprised to find out that among college graduates, unemployment is actually quite low - around 5 percent. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, education is the biggest buffer against unemployment, as you can see from the stark graphic here.
This is a stark change from just 40 years ago, when a quarter of all jobs required a college degree.
Much has been done to improve the college readiness among students in Duval County, but clearly, we have a long way to go. That's why the Jacksonville Public Education Fund's next policy brief will address the issue of College and Career Readiness among Duval County high school students. Making sure that all children in Jacksonville are ready to succeed in college and the workforce isn't just a feel-good statement - our economic future depends on it.
-- Deirdre