As a leading employer in Florida, we see a key opportunity for the state to further enhance its business landscape and economy to meet the demands of the global marketplace.
More than ever, businesses need young adults with the skills and capabilities that modern workplaces demand. For this reason, we urge Florida lawmakers and businesses to continue to work together and do their parts to help high schools prioritize work-based learning opportunities.
Florida lawmakers deserve praise for the enactment of House Bill 7071, which allows career and technical education to fulfill high school graduation requirements. This shows real commitment to preparing students across the state to enter today’s workforce.
Now is the time to go a step further: The business community should make the development of workforce-ready skills at the high school level an imperative.
Companies need employees who can work in teams, function professionally, problem solve and think critically. These “soft skills” are crucial to employers across industry sectors. Unfortunately, many young adults don’t graduate with these capabilities.
From job shadows and mock interviews to paid internships, integrating work-based learning into high school classrooms allows young people to develop important workforce-ready skills in a supportive environment. This should be part of every student’s education, because it will give them a leg up when they are ready for the job market.
Companies can also do their part by supporting the many excellent programs that already exist to help train young people. At KPMG, we partner with NAF, a national network of education, business and community leaders bringing work-based learning opportunities to more than 42,000 Florida high school students across the state.
NAF’s certification program, called NAFTrack, assesses students’ mastery of the skills needed to enter the workforce and makes it easier for companies to find qualified talent. Most importantly, NAF helps us fill the talent pipelines for our offices and facilities across the state, which employ 725 people.
Don’t just take our word for it. Ask any of the many Florida employers who also partner with NAF, including Marriott, South Florida Federal Credit Union and State Farm. We know that doing more to help students learn beyond the classroom is a business priority. We welcome other businesses to join us in this future-focused movement to help more students be job-ready when the time comes for them to join the workforce.
Many challenges facing businesses and our public education system are complicated and hard to fix. This is something we can address right now, and we have the tools and proven pathway to success.
Lynne Doughtie, chairman and CEO of KPMG in the U.S., serves on the board of NAF, a national network of education, business and community leaders working to ensure that high school students are prepared to enter the workforce.