In 2009, ASTD conducted a poll in which 79 percent of respondents said their organization faced a skills gap - a significant gap between an organization's current capabilities and the skills it needs to achieve its goals. And a year later, evidence is mounting that the skills gap is a contributing factor to employers' struggle of filling vacant jobs, even with an unemployment rate of 9.6 percent.

ASTD identified changing jobs and lagging educational attainment for needed skills as two underlying causes of the skills gap in its whitepaper "Bridging the Skills Gap" and its "Addressing the Skills Gap" InfoLine.

NPR examined these factors in its recent series, "The Skills Gap: Holding Back the Labor Market."

"There's not much demand for new houses or commercial buildings, and that means not much demand for architects or crane operators or escrow officers," explained NPR's Wendy Kaufman during the November 16 Morning Edition broadcast. "There are fewer jobs in other parts of the economy too. Think travel agents, newspaper reporters, and mid-level managers."

Kaufman continued, "Many of the chairs now being filled are in highly technical and specialized fields. And it's not that easy to go from being say, an architect, to a software engineer or from an escrow officer to an airplane mechanic."

A November 16 All Things Considered segment explored the skills needed in today's economy.

"The difference between a white collar and a blue collar job is over," Ed Gordon, president of Imperial Consulting Group and author of Winning the Global Talent Showdown: How Businesses and Communities Can Partner to Rebuild the Jobs Pipeline told NPR. "The jobs that will be esteemed are going to look a lot more like "Star Trek" because the whole economy around the world is further going into more and more advanced technology."

Gordon's comments reflect findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that indicate within the next five years 76 percent of U.S. jobs will require highly skilled workers - those with special skills in science, technology, engineering, or math.

As the emphasis on developing skills related to science, math, technology, and engineering increases, the preparedness of high school graduates in the U.S. to develop these skills becomes crucial. Recognizing this, the National Assessment Governing Board is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 8, at 11:00 a.m. EST., about the achievement levels of twelfth grade reading and mathematics skills. Presenters from the education and business sectors will discuss the state-level data from 11 states as well.

Visit http://nagb.org/business.htm for more information about the webinar and to register.