From Fortune · Hilary Crow · · 2m
Civics class is job training
The people who run the National Civics Bee argue the skills employers beg for are the ones civics used to teach.
In brief
The people who run the National Civics Bee argue the skills employers beg for are the ones civics used to teach. Employers waiting on the talent pipeline to fix itself should look at civics, where a 100-to-1 funding gap is quietly starving the skills they say they need. Originally reported by Fortune.
A 250th year, and 22%
Students returned to school in the 250th year since the founding. Only 22% of eighth-graders are proficient in civics, by the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Teens name the AI-proof skills
Asked by Common Sense Media which skills matter most as AI reshapes work, teenagers picked working with others, fact-checking and critical thinking, and making sense of complicated information.
Employers say the same thing
Just 18% of business leaders think entry-level hires are ready for today's workplace. The complaint about democracy and the complaint about the workforce are the same complaint.
“We tend to treat these as separate worries.”
What the Bee actually does
More than 20,000 middle schoolers compete through 240-plus local chambers of commerce. They find a problem in their community, research it from several angles, propose a fix, and defend it to judges.
The survey results
98% of participants named a real benefit. Nearly three-quarters improved their writing, and three-quarters felt ready to defend a position on a controversial issue respectfully.
Emily went to Congress
Born with a rare medical condition, Emily Brubaker researched the policy issue behind it, built support, and met lawmakers in Washington. Research, persuasion, persistence, all before her first paycheck.
“civic learning gives young people opportunities to tackle authentic challenges before anyone is paying them”
Civics got crowded out
The 1960s standard was three high school courses in civics and government. Most states now require one, often a single semester. Only a third of high schools have debate teams.
Fifty dollars versus fifty cents
Federal STEM education spending runs about $50 per student a year. Civic education gets less than fifty cents. The gaps in civics are not accidental, they follow the money.
“These gaps are not accidental. They reflect where we put our money.”
Stop waiting for the pipeline
Businesses already spend billions on onboarding and training to patch what school skipped. The next generation of workers is in a middle school classroom right now.
“employers should not wait for the talent pipeline to fix itself”
The headline
Employers waiting on the talent pipeline to fix itself should look at civics, where a 100-to-1 funding gap is quietly starving the skills they say they need.
