Alfredo Ortiz of Job Creators Network writes in USA Today that amid the positive economic indicators in the country, about 6.4 million jobs are open nationwide. In order to fill these jobs, high schools and colleges need to prioritize skills-based education and training:

Millions of available jobs are in middle-class professions that pay roughly $50,000 a year or more, according to Labor Department estimates. These include 600,000 construction and manufacturing jobs, whose median annual full-time pay is $47,000 and $49,000, as well as over a million health care and social assistance positions, whose median annual pay is $45,000. . . .

Policymakers can win this battle by prioritizing skills-based education and protecting entry-level jobs. High schools and universities are not adequately training the workforce to the level the economy demands. According to a 2011 analysis of Collegiate Learning Assessment data, nearly half of university students show little to no improvements in critical thinking, complex reasoning or writing after two years. . . .