While California has struggled to pull itself out of the recession - balancing a fiscal crisis, high unemployment, bankruptcy and foreclosure rates - one of its underlying problems may actually be education - or lack thereof.
A recent survey by advocacy group America's Edge found 47 percent of California jobs are "middle skills" occupations, meaning they require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree. However, only 38 percent of workers have the skills to actually fill those positions.
The state is also suffering from a decreasing number of graduates with degrees in science and engineering, which are particularly important for the Golden State's tech-focused economy. These conditions are likely contributing to California's high unemployment rate, which is currently at 11.7 percent.
"If more of our high school graduates are going to succeed as skilled members of an innovative workforce, they have to be better prepared not only for college but for training in technical fields as well," says State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg.
Of course, education cannot be blamed for all the state's problems. Experts in rival Texas - a state with similar education challenges - have argued California's chief problem is that it is a regulatory nightmare for entrepreneurs looking to incorporate in California.
Tags : ca, operations, small business management
Posted: May 25th, 2011