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Access to an educated, skilled labor pool is an essential component of modern businesses' ability to compete in today's global marketplace. As new technologies continue to emerge and manufacturing jobs become more specialized, employers not only desire workers who can keep pace, they seek workers who can hit the ground running with the necessary skills upon graduating from high school or a degree/certificate program.

Just as importantly, employers also need workers with proven “soft skills,” which are necessary for successful job performance.

PA Chamber Manager of Chamber Relations Jim Willshier recently addressed this issue with members of the state House Republican Policy Committee during a hearing on public education in Pennsylvania. Willshier, who handles education policy for the PA Chamber, discussed what job creators need from the state's education system.

Recognizing that reading, writing and arithmetic are core skills essential to a quality workforce, Willshier noted that employers also strongly desire candidates for employment that have proven "soft skills," which include critical thinking and problem solving; workload and time management; and professionalism and business etiquette.

The business community has identified this as an area of improvement for the state's education system in order to help students have more successful careers while better meeting the needs of employers.

According to a Conference Board study -- Are They Really Ready to Work? -- 58 percent of employers said that critical thinking and problem solving skills are very important for successful job performance, and 70 percent said that recently hired high school graduates were deficient in critical thinking.

Other similar studies found that the most common educational deficiency is basic employability skills (attendance, timeliness, work ethic, etc.).

Willshier said these skills are not easily evaluated with any exam, and are difficult to teach. Rather, he told lawmakers that these skills are learned through a well-structured curriculum, experience and a serious attitude about the given courses.

"To help better prepare students for their careers and higher education, they need to view school as their first job," he stressed, adding that all students should be exposed to potential career options and have opportunities to learn relevant career skills before graduation. They should also be encouraged to have plans for post-graduation in high school. Thinking through these plans can help the student determine the objectives they need to achieve in high school and prior to graduation."

To read more about the PA Chamber's member-driven education policy, click here.