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Preparing 21st Century Workers

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Learn more about William McKenzie.
William McKenzie
Senior Editorial Advisor
George W. Bush Institute

This series of commentaries and analyses, which come from leaders and experts in the Bush Center’s Domestic Excellence Center, shows how workers as well as communities can become more prepared for the transitions that await them.

The one-and-done-career is over. Americans are no longer wed to a single company, organization, or even career. They will apply their skills and talents in several jobs and careers during their lifetimes. 

What’s more, many will work in a world of marketplaces, not just in the American marketplace. Globalism already is an economic reality, but it will become more of one as the world becomes even more connected through technologies. 

Some will recoil and blame others for these changes, or seek to retreat into the past and within America’s borders. None of those responses is feasible. The best response is to be ready for tomorrow’s realities. 

The Economy is Going to Keep Changing, So We Need to Adjust Our Skills
Holly Kuzmich, the Bush Institute’s executive director, explores the generational shift in the workplace, where the one-and-done concept is ending. She explains why we must better prepare workers for a fast-moving economy. 

School Achievement Can Drive Economic Growth
Sandy Kress, a Bush Institute education fellow, draws upon research to show how important a solid K-12 foundation is for students and the economy. Educational achievement directly impacts economic growth and the gross domestic product. 

Helping Workers in Cities Make Transitions
Benjamin Rand, a member of the Bush Institute’s North America Working Group and associate vice chancellor of Tarrant County College, explains how community colleges help workers and communities make transitions.

The Military as a Training Ground for the Future Economy
Jeff Cleland, the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative’s manager, draws upon the example of three Marines to show how the military trains not only service members, but future civilian workers.