American Millennials trail the pack

In a recent Fortune article the results of a survey seem to back up the observation that the age group born after 1980 in the US are simply ignorant when it comes to the basics necessary to succeed in life or a job.Even in area where you might expect them to show superior skills that simply fall far behind their age counterparts from the First World nations and even behind older US citizens.

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When the results were analyzed by age group and nationality, ETS got a shock. It turns out, says a new report, that Millennials in the U.S. fall short when it comes to the skills employers want most: literacy (including the ability to follow simple instructions), practical math, and hold on to your hat a category called problem-solving in technology-rich environments.

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Not only do Gen Y Americans lag far behind their overseas peers by every measure, but they even score lower than other age groups of Americans.

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Sorry but that report certainly matches my personal experience as well.Fortunately for the US though those skills are not always that important when the job is lawn care, shining shoes, asking if "You want fries with that?" and so many other career paths and there is a near endless supply of youths from other countries to tackle the important jobs.

Maybe we should end the practice of cutting education budgets.

I'm not at all sure why we would want to stop cutting education budgets or putting idiots like Ted Cruz in charge of US science and technology funding (or as President even) as long as other nations are willing to spend their money to educate youth and develop new technology and knowledge.Remember, we can always hire all the competent folk we need from those other countries. They should be glad to come here and leave their higher standard of living, health care, social services, better infrastructure for our McDonalds, WWE and our Christian Fascist government. After all, we are The US of A and they damn well better love us if the know what's good for them.

Is there a point to this?Or are you just being a crabby old bitch?

Sure there is a point. It looks like the future supply of quick stop night shift workers and grass cutters is assured.Possibly we can even export shoe shine folk to the First World.

And you thought this was debatable?

Not at all. This is the Coffee House, a place to discuss things of interest.Fortunately I'm old enough that I don't often have to deal with US Millennials and thanks to the internet I can also communicate with youth from areas where ignorance is not as pervasive as among the US Millennials. Also, since I am retired I no longer have to worry about hiring any of them.The findings though might be of some concern for others in the US were it not for the very fortunate availability of qualified young workers from all over the world. We just need to hope that they don't realize that our infrastructure, communications systems, social services programs, health care, security and quality of life has fallen so far behind the First World nations. If they do notice perhaps we can continue to fool them with advertising or that their are enough willing to come here to a Second or Third World country as a charity mission.

Since I fall in that group I thought I'd take the demo test. It didn't give me a score. I'm gonna assume my results were off the charts .I guess I'll have to wait for the full version.

Speaking as one of those overseas student who was lured to the USA after getting my degrees I have to say I disagree with you on one aspect.The standard of living here is a lot higher than it was for me doing a similar job in England.
Salaries are higher. Prices are lower and housing is way more affordable.Other than that, though I completely agree. The school system has gone to hell in recent decades.

I have discussed this topic with you before. Certainly the evidence shows that youth from other countries are passing youth from the United States in terms of education, literacy, and skills needed for effective upper wage employment.I have been a Union Steward at my job (Grocery Store) for many years now, and I have seen an employer that will look anywhere for skilled management and yet will hire --and pay---domestic youth labor far less than even WalMart now pays.I dislike this aspect of capitalism and free enterprise because what is happening is that this country is no longer interested in taking care of its own---from a corporate perspective.Domestic youth are losing this battle for many reasons--and I discuss it with some of them--- and they too are against being displaced by foreign labor.I suppose my question and comment is this:Should Americans invest in and take care of "their own" before seeking workers from other countries?To me it would be like feeding your own family before donating to world hunger.

Are you going to force companies to hire underskilled workers?Do you want America known for imported labor or overpriced, low-quality exports?

Especially today education is available to anyone. Kids can get online and take college level courses online and even for free.You yourself have said that when in school you didn't want to have to learn stuff and so you didn't.If the kids don't want to learn and the adults don't want to get taxed to pay for education but foreign kids want to learn and other countries fund education then what should the result be?

Its not so much what it should be...we would all disagree on that!Its what it will be.The kids I talk to all want to get paid more, but they have no concept of what they would need or want to learn.

So if they do not learn what is necessary but foreign kids do learn what is necessary what should the outcome be?

jar asks: Full blown panic across the nation!!!