ABSTRACT
As the workforces of the US and other developed countries compete for jobs in an international arena, policy and practice must be revolutionized to meet the demands of this new environment. A public school system designed for the rural, agricultural economy of the 1800s must now prepare students to succeed in a very different twenty-firstcentury life. Colleges and universities must become more responsive to their role in economic prosperity. Immigration policies that are politically driven must be revamped to permit the flow of needed talent into the country, especially in light of expected shortages due to the aging and retiring U.S. workforce. Federal and state workforce development programs that struggle to keep up with the emerging needs of business and industry in this ultra-competitive environment must be streamlined with policies that easily adapt to changing conditions. Perhaps most important, some observers believe that the US as a society has not demonstrated an understanding of the value of lifelong learning nor a willingness to
demand rigor and excellence of all students at all points along the educational system. All of these issues must be addressed if the economic prosperity Americans have taken for granted is to continue.
