State of the Union Acknowledges Skills Gap

Last night, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union Address (if you missed it, you can watch and read it here). In his speech, he acknowledges that there is a growing gap between the skills people have and the jobs available:

           "I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills.  Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job." 

                               -President Obama, State of the Union Address, January 24th, 2012

Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director of the National Skills Coalition, applauded the President's commitment to train 2 million workers through a streamlined workforce system built on partnerships with businesses. Van Kleunen agrees that talking to employers and talking to workers is the best way to assess and get a real idea of the skills gap that exists. Read Van Kluenen's complete response to the State of the Union Address here.