The California Research Bureau (CRB), a division of the California State Library that performs research upon request from legislators, has completed and released a series of reports as part of the Careers Project. The Careers Project is a “study of the preparation that public middle- and high-school students receive to explore career options and the relationship between that preparation and the state and regional economies.” The study was requested by a bipartisan group of 11 legislators, and was supported by funding from the James Irvine Foundation.

The reports include the final report of the findings of a survey of business and industry that was designed to: a) discover what involvement (if any) businesses have with their local K-12 schools; b) verify government-collected data about high-growth occupations and their corresponding job skills; and c) identify emerging trends. Small Business California provided some assistance to CRB in reviewing the survey and suggesting potential respondents.

Concern about workforce preparedness among California youth, and correspondence (or disparity) between what is being taught and the skills that are needed in the workplace are vital questions for California business owners. They are perhaps even more vital for small business owners who may not have the resources to provide remedial, on-the-job skills training. Therefore this study should be of considerable interest to business owners.

The reports pertaining to this study, in particular the “Survey of Representatives of Business and Industry in California” and “The Careers Project: A Summary with Policy Options,” are available on the CRB website, at www.library.ca.gov/crb if you would like to review them, and we encourage you to do so.