As the international marketplace in general and the American economy in particular continue to evolve, how prepared and qualified are American workers to succeed in this ever-changing climate? According to new research described by Diverse Education Magazine, the answer is not very well at all -- business leaders consistently note that the new cohorts of America workers lack even basic required skills:

The report is based on a survey of 431 human resource officials that was conducted in April and May by The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Society for Human Resource Management. “The future work force is here, and it is ill-prepared,” says the report. The findings reflect employers’ growing frustration over the lack of basic knowledge and skills among young workers. . . .

More than 40 percent of surveyed employers say incoming high-school graduates are inadequately prepared for the entry-level jobs they fill. The report finds that recent high school graduates lack the basic skills in reading comprehension, writing and math, which many respondents say are vital for successful job performance. . . . The findings show an especially large gap in writing skills. Nearly half of all survey participants (47 percent) report that two-year college graduates are deficient in this area. . . .

“This study should serve as an alert to educators, policy makers and those concerned with U.S. economic competitiveness that we may be facing a skills shortage,” says Susan R. Meisinger, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management.

This is more sobering evidence that the American educational system needs to get its act together, and soon. If we as a nation want to stay competitive around the world, we need to make some changes now. While there are still notable inequalities between racial/ethnic groups in terms of educational success and skills, this issue goes beyond just racial differences -- it should be nothing less than a national priority.

As many liberals rightfully ask, where should we be spending trillions of dollars of American taxpayer money -- on overseas wars that accomplish nothing other than to turn more of the world’s population against the U.S., or to prepare our succeeding generations to meet the economic and occupational challenges ahead of them? Time is running out to answer that question, people.