Utah's 21st Century Workforce Initiative
I'm proud of Utah's hard-working, talented and innovative workforce. Together we've made Utah a great place to live and a great place to do business.
The world we live in and the way we do business, however, are changing. (Please see the case for action for data on these changes.)
- Too many U.S. and Utah students do not have the basic skills needed to enter the workforce, let alone meet the opportunities and demands of 21st century employers.
- Workers in many other countries with equal skills will accept far less pay than our own workers for the same job.
- More and more jobs can be done virtually anywhere; the world is becoming a level playing field.
- Within this changing environment, Utah's workforce is changing and the full implications are unclear.
- Global competitiveness is rapidly becoming the key to attracting future investment to Utah.
These changes are fundamental. They alter long-held assumptions about how we prepare our youth, how we retrain our adults, when we begin, and how and by what criteria we measure success. No longer can we limit our perspective to a state, regional or even national level. Workforce achievements in India, Korea, China, Finland and Ireland (and elsewhere) will affect us sooner than we think. We may see the difference even now.
One thing is clear: we need to recognize the impact of these changes on our state. And we need to respond appropriately and decisively.
This effort - Utah's 21st Century Workforce Initiative - is our initial response to this global challenge. Please explore this Web site to learn more. I look forward to your participation in this very important investment in the future of Utah's workforce.
