Report: An “Entrepreneurial Workforce” Critical to the Global Economy

Washington, DC - A new report from the Junior Achievement Innovation Initiative (JAII) and Gallup shows that employers (those responsible for hiring decisions) and employees alike believe that America's workforce needs to become more "entrepreneurial" in order for the country to remain competitive in the global marketplace and that K-12 classrooms are the place to start teaching entrepreneurship. This is in line with President Barack Obama's call for "entrepreneurship" to be included with "problem-solving" and "critical thinking" as 21st century skills to be incorporated into education standards and assessments.

The Gallup poll of 1,100 employers and employees shows that virtually all of those surveyed (95% of employers; 96% of employees) believe that the American workforce needs to become more entrepreneurial if America is to remain competitive (entrepreneurship was defined as "taking the initiative and assuming risk to create value for the company or business, either as an owner of your own business or in your place of work."). Nearly half of employees (46%) and employers (41%) felt the best time to learn entrepreneurship is in the K-12 grades, surpassing college (employees 25%; employers 32%) and "on the job" (employees 17%; employers 16%). Only one in 10 (employees 11%; employers 9%) felt entrepreneurship is an innate skill that comes naturally.

For full report visit http://www.ja.org/files/The\_Entrepreneurial\_Workforce\_full-11.pdf.