A 24-page issue book titled Competing in the 21st Century: Moving Virginia's Human Capital Meter is available as a free pdf download.

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to the issue book:

Complexity, diversity, and an extraordinary rate of change will characterize the economic and workforce development arenas of the 21st century.  Globalization and an ever-increasing use of technology will impact businesses as never before.

In the past, low business costs were a primary dterminant for business location or expansion decisions, but the availability of a skilled labor pool and enhanced quality of life will drive these decisions in the future.  Virginia must now prioritize the task of creating a workfoce advantage that is both globally and domestically competitive.  The Commonwealth must establish an approach that will grow, recruit, and retain the necessary workforce talent and leverage public and private resources in an unprecedented manner.

The issue book presents three approaches to consider:

Approach One:  Align education and training with startegically targeted industry clusters and drivers of innovation and research

Approach Two:  Target improvements in the existing education and skills training systems so that every individual is prepared for the workforce and/or continued education.

Approach Three: Empower the businesses, individuals, and communities most directly affected by economic shifts.

To download this issue book click on the Download link above.