Tech Directions - September 2007 - (Page 7)

Technology CEOs Call for Improved Education As if the nation’s governors were not already alarmed by the graduation rates and academic standards in the nation’s high schools, two top technology CEOs reminded them of the problem rather forcefully at the annual meeting of the National Governors Association. Randall Stephenson, chair of AT&T, and Eric Schmidt, chair of Google, said that the public education system is failing their industries. Stephenson told the 30 governors at the meeting in Michigan that his company’s agreement with its union to return 4,000 jobs that had been outsourced to India was in trouble because the education standards in the United States were too low. “We’re struggling to find qualified candidates to fill the jobs,” he said. The Google CEO called for states to be more innovative in finding ways to improve student performance in the public schools, “Almost anything we try is going to give us more information,” according to Schmidt. “Why not try five different things and see what kind of results you get?” and over, almost 4 percent of those earning a minimum wage had less than a high school diploma, compared with 2 percent of those who had graduated from high school and 1 percent of college graduates. Also, part-time workers (less than 35 hours a week) were much more likely to earn the minimum wage. About three-fourths of workers in the minimum wage category worked in service jobs, mostly food preparation. Fewer than 1 percent of hourly-paid workers in management, professional, and related occupations and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations earned at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage. Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma had the highest proportion of hourly paid workers earning a minimum wage. California and Minnesota had the lowest proportion. The Bureau also reports that the proportion of hourly paid workers earning the federal minimum wage has been decreasing since 1979. Minimum Wage Concerns Although Congress’s attention to increasing the minimum wage seemed to focus on adults, the real beneficiaries of a higher minimum are teenagers in food services and other similar low-wage occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which used 2006 data from the Current Population Survey, those working for minimum wages tend to be young and not great in number at any age level. About half of workers earning $5.15 an hour or less were under age 25, and onefourth were younger than 19. Among employed teenagers, about 8 percent earned the minimum wage or less. This was the wage level for 1 percent of workers age 25 and over. Among those aged 65 and over, the proportion was about 2 percent. Within these small percentages, minority groups (other than Asians) and women tended to be more likely to work at the minimum wage. Among hourly-paid workers age 16 www.techdirections.com WASHINGTON 7 http://www.g-w.com http://www.g-w.com http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - September 2007

Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers Dome, Sweet Dome—Geodesic Structures Teach Math, Science, and Technology Principles Help Students Become Wise Energy Consumers How Does FERPA Affect You? Camera Operator and Videographer e-gallery Product Central Free for the Asking More than Fun

Tech Directions - September 2007

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