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SALT LAKE CITY — A lot of energy right now is going toward helping schools innovate and advance education during these tough economic times. It's been the focus of NBC's Education Nation Summit.
In Utah, our business and community leaders are leading the charge with an effort known as Prosperity 2020. Their goal is to get Utah's students ready for the jobs of tomorrow.
Over the summer, EMC Corporation said it would add 700 new jobs by the end of 2015. ITT Electronic Systems announced an expansion that would create 2,700 jobs over the next 15 years. These jobs will pay more, but they will also require higher education.
"Today's business atmosphere education in Utah is really central to our economy and what our economy is going to look like in the future," said Mark Bouchard, senior managing director of CB Richard Ellis and chairman of Prosperity 2020.
Business leaders in Utah are specifically interested in the quality of degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
"You can't have a sustainable economy unless you have a workforce trained with the skills necessary to be successful in the workforce," said Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank.
Anderson and other members of Prosperity 2020 want 90 percent of elementary school students to achieve math and reading proficiency, and two-thirds of Utah adults to have a skilled-trade certificate or college degree by 2020.
These transformational goals will take time and tenacity.
"It requires everybody working together on the same issues, the same goals, in order to have that pipeline from cradle to career," said Deborah Bayle, president and CEO of United Way of Utah.
Prosperity 2020 leaders are providing a business-oriented plan and resources to improve results. They are partners on KSL's Read Today program, and this fall they'll draft a legislative proposal to drive Utah toward 2020 goals.
"Businesses have to have a partnership with education — public education, higher education &38212; and with government to assure the output is what we need to drive the economy forward," Anderson said.
Email: dwimmer@ksl.com
