American Millennials are among the world's least skilled

[jayem]

Researchers at Princeton-based Educational Testing Service (ETS)... administered a test called the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Sponsored by the OECD, the test was designed to measure the job skills of adults, aged 16 to 65, in 23 countries..

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.”

American Millennials are among the world's least skilled - Fortune

This is from the full report:

In literacy, U.S. millennials scored lower than 15 of the 22 participating countries. Only millennials in Spain and Italy had lower scores.

In numeracy, U.S. millennials ranked last, along with Italy and Spain.
In PS-TRE, U.S. millennials also ranked last, along with the Slovak Republic, Ireland, and Poland.

The youngest segment of the U.S. millennial cohort (16- to 24-year-olds), who could be in the labor force for the next 50 years, ranked last in numeracy along with Italy and among the bottom countries in PS-TRE. In literacy, they scored higher than their peers in Italy and Spain.

The Fortune article has links to 4 sample "numeracy" questions. Very basic material, like interpreting a graph, reading a thermometer, and calculating simple interest. I'm not sure how performance on a standardize test correlates with actual job skills. But if the premise of this study is valid, it's disturbing.

 

[Supreme]

It is worrying. The American economy is going to be facing challenges from nations where the youth are genuinely skilled and well educated- not just in the EU, but Singapore, China, Canada. It's hard to believe literacy and maths are such poor skills for US millenials.

 

[Audacious]

If I didn't know better I'd think the country needed education reform.

Perhaps we could update our school systems by using techniques borrowed from systems in places such as Hong Kong and Finland.

 

[Nithavela]

You reap what you sow. *popcorn chew*

 

[ThinkForYourself]

You reap what you sow. *popcorn chew*

Aptly put.

 

[Nithavela]

I wonder where germany scored on that list? Not too high either, is my guess. We head our own crisis of education a decade or so back with PISA.

 

[Nithavela]

We're talking about a generation who never knew a world without the internet to tell them everything, never been without modern conveniences such as electricity. Texting has replaced handwriting (no longer taught in schools). I think it has more to do with these things.

And the children in the better scoring countries have no internet or electricity, of course.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Compared to previous generations, they are more "educated" but less skilled. I warned in a previous thread against against confusing what goes on in universities today with education. This is what I was talking about. In many ways it's the exact opposite of education. Rather than helping adolescents become adults, it encourages adults to embrace a perpetual adolescence.

 

[Fenny the Fox]

Compared to previous generations, they are more "educated" but less skilled. I warned in a previous thread against against confusing what goes on in universities today with education. This is what I was talking about. In many ways it's the exact opposite of education. Rather than helping adolescents become adults, it encourages adults to embrace a perpetual adolescence.

And I really can't say I saw this, at all. But I suppose maybe my experience was different than others? I am not sure of that, one way or the other, as I only know my own experience first hand.

Admittedly, though, going by some of my friends' and relatives' university outcomes, it may honestly not be that far off the truth. Which I, for some reason, find myself having a hard time granting; possibly it is because I feel that a college education is very important, or possibly that I was raised to take responsibility for myself and not to blame others/the "institution" for my mistakes and shortcomings.

What I think needs to be looked at is that modern US universities do not prepare someone for a singular, narrow path. Our system has, over time, become one of broad knowledge base as a requirement. The "well rounded" student is more highly thought of within academia here than the skilled, focused student who only wants to pay attention to the field they intend to enter. This is, of course, also reflected within lower education levels as well, for obvious reasons.

 

[Hank]

I looked at those graphs, they are relative close. Even so the US is near the bottom, I am not in a panic mode. For example: To score 250 instead of 280, what is the difference? OK, Japan is number one. What a travesty. The majority of question were still solved by everyone else, though.

I hire new people every year. I look for their ability to learn, since colleges and Universities are usually behind the up-to-date trends. So far, I like the new generation. Smart, fast thinking, flexible and able to learn.

 

[TerranceL]

My favorite millennials story was about a "trend" where millennials were bringing their mothers to job interviews to talk to the interviewer in their behalf.

 

[ThinkForYourself]

And the children in the better scoring countries have no internet or electricity, of course.

Interestingly, there seems to be quite a strong negative correlation between a country's religiosity and millennial preparedness. Japan is the least religious, and best prepared. Italy, Spain, and the USA are all very religious, and the least prepared.

I found the religiosity numbers from Atheism & Belief in God: Countries Get Ranked

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

My favorite millennials story was about a "trend" where millennials were bringing their mothers to job interviews to talk to the interviewer in their behalf.

"Sorry, we comply with child labor laws at this company."

My favorite is when their parents call in to talk to management on their behalf after they get fired.

 

[MachZer0]

My favorite millennials story was about a "trend" where millennials were bringing their mothers to job interviews to talk to the interviewer in their behalf.

Isn't that what they call helicopter moms

 

[Fenny the Fox]

Isn't that what they call helicopter moms

I call that stupidity, buts that's just me.

 

[Vylo]

It is kind of scary when people look at me like I'm a wizard for doing multiplication in my head. I just don't understand. I've done some adult tutoring and the ease with which I can teach someone math (and I think I'm an awful teacher), makes me feel our education system is insanely flawed.

 

[Kalevalatar]

Researchers at Princeton-based Educational Testing Service (ETS)... administered a test called the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Sponsored by the OECD, the test was designed to measure the job skills of adults, aged 16 to 65, in 23 countries..

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.”

Competent literacy and math skills, "problem-solving in technology-rich environments", are also a national security issue. More than 70 percent of all young Americans ages 17-24 are no longer fit for military service. Not only are they too fat and unfit to qualify, one in four also cannot enlist because of low scores for math, literacy and problem solving.

The modern high-tech military does not need simple blunt boots on the ground but those problem-solving skills in the complex "technology-rich environments" to operate the modern military technology. Those precision guided munitions don't hit their target from hundreds of miles away by accident: someone built that system, someone serviced that system, someone analysed the situation and calculated the variables.

 

[KitKatMatt]

People here treat not reading since high school as bragging rights- extra points if you got out of reading all together and just copied your classmate. Sciences are looked down upon and mocked by people who have no education in those fields. Critical thinking skills are underdeveloped. Chain emails and Facebook posts are 100% truth. Fact sourcing, what is that?

So, yeah, I'm not surprised. It's no one's fault but our own.

 

[KitKatMatt]

It is kind of scary when people look at me like I'm a wizard for doing multiplication in my head. I just don't understand. I've done some adult tutoring and the ease with which I can teach someone math (and I think I'm an awful teacher), makes me feel our education system is insanely flawed.

I was never good at math in my head. All the numbers tend to "fall out" before I can put them together, if that makes sense? I understand the methods, though, and can do it on paper.

Our system is even flawed on things that so many people think they're good at. An example: computers.

Do my younger siblings and cousins know how to turn a computer on, use Skype, and check Facebook? Yeah.

Do they know the importance of an antivirus program? Do they know how to use a URL bar (as opposed to just Googling Facebook.com over and over)? Do they know how to identify and avoid suspicious websites? Do they know how to protect themselves and their data? Do they know basic troubleshooting steps? Do they know literally anything other than "log into Skype, log into Facebook"?

No. They don't. They get constantly duped by popups, their computers are riddled with adware and malware. I got really mad at my brother for ruining his brand new laptop (two weeks old) because he never ran the antivirus I set up for him- something very malicious had completely destroyed the harddrive by the time he let me look at it.

I can only preach and help so much, so now I just let them deal with the consequences. I know it won't be too long before someone gets their identity stolen.

 

[TerranceL]

It is kind of scary when people look at me like I'm a wizard for doing multiplication in my head. I just don't understand. I've done some adult tutoring and the ease with which I can teach someone math (and I think I'm an awful teacher), makes me feel our education system is insanely flawed.

I have always been very bad at math, but... are you talking about just regular multiplication?