We have an education crisis in the United States. We're graduating kids from college that don't know how to evaluate a credit offer, use a checkbook, or calcuate a tip. If you are running a business and need workers, are these folks you want in the hiring pool?
A Pew study found that the college grads were worst with respect to math skills. This parallels my own experience with younger workers. There is a myth that younger people are somehow technologically more savvy and skilled than older workers, but being able to download music from an online store and getting it onto a portable music player does not necessarily translate into the kind of workers we need in a highly competitive global Knowledge Economy.
What about schools in your region? Do your high school graduates have the right math skills? Has your school board initiated an across the board review of math and science curriculums to make sure they are teaching the right skills (and graduating competent students)? Does your school system have an advanced technology vocational/technical program that teaches networking, structured cabling installation, and programming? If not, why not?