The report, 21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness, finds that the United States, in order to be globally competitive and for states to attract growth industries and create jobs, requires a fresh approach to education that recognizes the importance 21st century skills play in the workplace.

Sponsored by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Ford Motor Company Fund, KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the National Education Association, the report notes that the country’s economic output has changed dramatically over the past 30 years and there is no sign this trend will stop.

In 1967, the production of material goods (cars, equipment, etc.) and delivery of material services (transportation, construction, etc.) accounted for nearly 54 percent of the country’s economic output. However, by 1997, the development of information products (computers, for example) and the provision of information services (financial and broadcast services and others) accounted for 63 percent of the country’s output. As the world continues to shift from an industrial economy to a service economy driven by information, knowledge and innovation, cultivating 21st century skills is vital to economic success.

While the global economy has been changing, the United States has focused primarily on closing domestic achievement gaps and largely ignored the growing necessity of graduating students capable of filling emerging job sectors. This remains a legitimate and worthy agenda but still dangerously discounts the global competitiveness issue.

“Equally important to the domestic achievement gap, is the global achievement gap between United States students – even top-performers – and their international counterparts,” said Paige Kuni, worldwide manager of K-12 education for Intel Corporation and chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “Quite simply, for the United States to stay economically viable and remain a world leader, the country must make closing all achievement gaps a national priority.”

Abroad, developed and competing nations have focused on imparting a different set of skills – 21st century skills –  to their graduates because these skills increasingly power the wealth of nations. Furthermore, businesses now require workers who can handle more responsibility and contribute more to productivity and innovation. In fact, from 1995 to 2005, the United States lost three million manufacturing jobs, but, during that same time, 17 million service-sector jobs were created. It is critical that the United States graduate students capable of filling those jobs and keeping pace with the change in skill demands.

“Through my work with the business community, it has become apparent that there isn’t a lack of employees that are technically proficient but a lack of employees that can adequately communicate and collaborate, innovate and think critically,” said Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “At this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, legislators and policymakers must focus on the outcomes we know produce graduates capable of competing in the 21st century and forging a viable economic future.”

The Partnership, the leading national advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education, encourages the United States to do a better job teaching and measuring advanced, 21st century skills beyond simply assessing science and mathematics. In addition, the report outlines several actions at the national, state and local levels that the United States must implement to improve economic results and better prepare citizens to participate in the 21st century. For a full set of recommendations and the report itself, please click here.

About the Partnership for 21st Century Skills: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts, and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.

21st Century Skills Leadership States include: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Member organizations include: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple, ASCD, AT&T, Atomic Learning, Blackboard, Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Davis Publications, Dell, Inc., Discovery Education, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Educational Testing Service, Ford Motor Company Fund, Giant Campus, Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, JA Worldwide®, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, K12, LEGO Group, Learning Point Associates, Lenovo, Measured Progress, Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson, PolyVision, Scholastic Education, Sesame Workshop, THINKronize, Verizon, and Wireless Generation. Organizations interested in joining the Partnership may contact info@21stcenturyskills.org.