Quartz – Zoe Baird, Allen Blue and Michael Crow
“As presidential candidates declare why they seek to be elected in 2016, they are promising jobs, growth, and a better future. With nearly three-quarters of polled Americans fearing the next generation will be worse off than their own, these promises cannot afford to be hollow. For millions of people, an uncertain future has become a constant, as lives are increasingly changed by technology and a networked world during the biggest economic transformation in a hundred years. The country is crying out for a plan of action. The loss of optimism points at the defining challenge of our time: to make sure that all Americans will be included in this transformation. The dream of working hard to achieve a brighter future has long been the bedrock of American society. But in the last two decades, technology has redefined the landscape of work and the economy. Jobs that once seemed secure are being eliminated, and many Americans no longer know where to find opportunity in this new digital era. They don’t know how to prepare for the jobs of the future. They don’t know which diplomas or credentials will be meaningful anymore. They don’t know what skills will be recognized or valued.”(more)