A summary of “Innovation and U.S. Competitiveness: Addressing the Talent Gap” is available from the Business Roundtable.
Though most Americans believe that improving mathematics and science education is crucial to maintaining the country’s competitive advantage over other countries in science and technology, few parents push their children to pursue careers in those fields, a survey found.
According to the survey—funded by the Washington-based Business Roundtable and Compete America, a coalition of corporations, universities, research institutions, and trade associations—86 percent of 1,800 U.S. voters said that the country must increase the number of workers with a background in science and math, and 51 percent believe that education is the best way to ensure that the country stays competitive. However, only 5 percent of parents said they would try to try to persuade their child to pursue careers in science and technology, and 65 percent said they would allow their child to pursue whatever career path he or she prefers.
