The United States is suffering its worst financial crisis since the 1930s and the unemployment rate continues to climb; therefore, American businesses must continue to adapt to a challenging economy while focusing on current and future opportunities for their workers.

According to a recent report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, "high-quality education and training is the best way to prepare the workers of today for the jobs of tomorrow." The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the fastest-growing occupations between 2006 and 2016 are jobs that require more than a high school diploma. Examples of these positions include medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, network systems analysts, and computer software engineers.

Several employers have taken the initiative and have begun to partner with educational institutions to build training programs; however, not all of these efforts are large or coordinated enough to fully address the skills shortage problem.

Recognizing the need for more Americans to obtain post secondary credentials that match future job openings, Business Champions, Inc. has committed itself to leveraging the ideas and leadership of employers. Business Champions’ primary strategies include building business networks to share best practices; convening leadership forums; conducting research and analysis to understand which learning models are most effective; and providing technical assistance to help business leaders work for policy changes that will assist in shaping new opportunities in their communities and states.

To help execute this strategy at the local level, Business Champions received a grant from the Joyce Foundation for their Great Lakes Business Champions Project. This effort will assess business organizations to determine which are best positioned to push for improved state and federal workforce and postsecondary education policies.

"Fifty to seventy percent of the skilled workforce will retire in the next decade. There is a need to address the skills issue because it will not just go away because of the current downturn," says Mary Gershwin, the founding president of Business Champions. "Businesses and business leaders can play an important role in informing policy makers about what workforce skills will help them succeed."

Find out more about Employment programs funded by the Joyce Foundation by clicking here.