Madison Preparatory Academy - School Information System

G. Consequences of Being Under-educated in 2011 and Beyond
The following charter prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the unemployment rate and average
weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary earnings of adults (ages 25 and older) with different levels of
education in 2010.
Young people who drop-out of high school and do not secure a quality education beyond high school will
have a very tough time competing for employment opportunities or succeeding as entrepreneurs in today’s
competitive labor market and business environment. They will recognize lower rates of employment, lower
wages and salaries and potentially compromise their happiness and their ability to provide for themselves and
their families.
In his commentary on the Future of Jobs & Careers, Edward Gordon wrote:
Between 2010 and 2020 it is estimated that the United States will lack the qualified talent to fill
anywhere from 12 to 24 million essential jobs throughout our economy. These same talent
shortages are beginning to appear around the world. Soon 75 percent of all U.S. jobs will
demand far higher entry-level qualifications, i.e., a good liberal arts education plus
postsecondary career-specific technical skills. Today only about 25 percent of America’s
workforce comfortably meets this benchmark. 4
Madison Prep recognizes that the Greater Madison community must better prepare all of its young people for
a more competitive, innovative, global, prosperous, responsible and fast-paced changing future. Its founders
recognize the adverse economic and social challenges its students will have the opportunity to avoid if they
are adequately and sufficiently educated: poverty, unemployment, poor health, crime and the self-fulfilling
prophecy and cyclical damage this has on individuals, families and communities, particularly people, families
and communities of color. Furthermore, they understand the positive impact Madison Prep can have on the
long-term health, wellness and success of families, businesses and communities in the Greater Madison area.
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