To the Editor:
Anthony P. Carnevale鈥檚 essay, 鈥�The Nation Is Still at Risk: The Urgency of Workforce Preparation,鈥� (April 28, 2023) is remarkable. Carnevale is right that we need a radical rethinking of how we cultivate skills in this country; that the current system impedes human flourishing and keeps individuals from reaching their potential; and that we must better integrate career and technical education across states and systems.
But there is also something more fundamental driving the skills mismatch that Carnevale notes is persistent in our country.
Carnevale observes, 鈥淥ur present system leaves a lot to chance.鈥� Yes!鈥攂ecause it prioritizes the needs of the system over the dignity of the individual and, therefore, limits a person鈥檚 ability to build learning pathways based on their unique aptitudes and interests. Nor does it consider the ultimate end goal: for each person to not only find a good job and earn a good living but to also find purpose in their lives.
Five years ago, BetterUp released a study that determined . We鈥檝e seen similar studies since then, including , an opinion survey of what the American public wants when it comes to work.
Organizations like the Make It Movement and the University of Maryland鈥檚 Intentional Life Lab are getting it right: Before talking about where to go to build skills, these organizations help students discover the work pathways that will inspire them.
There鈥檚 a lot riding on this shift for employers. has warned, 鈥淗elp your employees find purpose鈥攐r watch them leave.鈥� But there鈥檚 more riding on it for workers. The country is facing an epidemic of burnout at work and, worse, addiction and depression.
As Carnevale said, 鈥淲e cannot afford to wait.鈥�
Ryan Stowers
Executive Director
Charles Koch Foundation
Arlington, Va.
