A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics will raise concerns about U.S. workers’ global competitiveness. As reported in Education Week here, supplementary data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) collected in 2013-2014 indicate that U.S. adults “scored about average in literacy, near the bottom in numeracy and dead last in digital problem solving, or as the OECD calls it, problem solving in technology rich environments.”
This new information echoes the previous PIAAC results released in 2012 and other surveys of U.S. skills as compared to our global competitors. The data reinforces the need for policymakers to identify opportunities to strengthen Americans’ workplace competencies in all three areas to remain competitive as employers become increasingly able to look abroad for qualified workers.
Evidence shows that CTE provides students with applied learning opportunities that can integrate with academic content to enhance student outcomes. Furthermore, technical literacy and creative problem solving are fundamentally embedded in CTE programs.
ACTE will continue to advocate for a strong emphasis on CTE to prepare all students with the skills they need to compete in today’s globalized environment.
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