Top CEOs agree: US is down the crapper

[Nod]

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/11/ces_ceo_confab/

"I would not give us such a good grade as I'd like to see in terms of being an innovator five to ten years out," said Chambers. "We're still leading, but our leadership is shrinking."

Immelt agreed. "As a country, the rest of the world is moving faster than we are," he said. "The world's not standing still; China's not standing still."

The GE CEO and chairman also noted that althought the Asian economic upsurge has gotten a lot of press, the US is falling behind other countries, as well. "We all like to talk about China and India, but Germany has come out of the recession stronger than it went in because they've focused on competitiveness, job creation, productivity, and innovation. So the US is going to have to play in a very competitive way."

Burns noted that the US isn't preparing for its own future. "I'm nervous because we're not investing in some of the downstream efforts that we have to invest in, like education."

Chambers agreed. "I think our K-through-12 system is broken. The [international] scores have recently come out, and not only are we not in the top 10, we're not in the top 20. We're 25th," he said, adding: "I think education is the most important long-term change we need to do in this country."

It's not that the business community is standing on the sidelines, not trying to help to fix the US educational system, said Immelt. "If you took the Fortune 50 companies, I'd bet we collectively invest billions out of our foundations and things like that in [secondary] education."

One problem is coordination and commitment. "This is a place where government and business should work together, can work together," Immelt said. "There ought to be a call to arms on education in this country. It's a complete no-brainer for business and government to be aligned, because our interests are completely aligned."

She also said that a coordinated, measured effort is key. "We have to coordinate better, we have to work better with the ... educational systems, and with each other, and actually keep programs that work and kill the ones that don't work."

Chambers was of the opinion that the educational system could learn a thing or two from the folks at CES. "This show is all about rapid innovation. If you're two years behind in this industry, you're history," he said. "We have not changed the way we teach our children. We haven't changed the way collaboration is occuring.

Immelt said that the number of engineers that a country produces is a measure of how competitive that country will be in the future. "There's a million and a half engineers graduated in China every year. There's still more sports therapists graduated in the US than electrical engineers. So that's a losing equation. We're going to have to switch this. I mean, a good massage is still good, but it shouldn't stay that way."

"We're sliding," Chambers said. "Our global competition is increasing." He then added another problem area in which he think the US is screwing up. "If you only have around 300 million people, and haven't got a good immigration policy to bring in the best and the brightest from the rest of the world, and you don't educate your young people well, then planning ahead – for 20 years – gets tougher."

Very insightful article about how the top CEOs in the US see their own country, and what should be done to ensure that the US stays at the top. Some advice that our government could also listen to.

 

[Alan]

We all like to talk about China and India, but Germany has come out of the recession stronger than it went in because they've focused on competitiveness, job creation, productivity, and innovation. So the US is going to have to play in a very competitive way."

Pity they got an administration fixated on pushing through it's ideological agenda and not the above

As for immigration they want to allow millions of unskilled illegal aliens to stay in the country who needs college graduates

 

[Nod]

Strange how every successful nation know that education is key to success in an international market, yet our government, although they make some of the right noises, can't seem to get anything right. Trying to solve the problems with the wrong solutions.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Pity they got an administration fixated on pushing through it's ideological agenda and not the above

As for immigration they want to allow millions of unskilled illegal aliens to stay in the country who needs college graduates

My Dad is off to the States and will most likely get his green card soon - he is in his 60s and does not even have matric, he is a truck driver. Good for my dad but it speaks volumes on the country. Its so easy to legally get in too.

 

[Inertia]

My Dad is off to the States and will most likely get his green card soon - he is in his 60s and does not even have matric, he is a truck driver. Good for my dad but it speaks volumes on the country. Its so easy to legally get in too.

Please let us know when he gets that greencard. So easy to get in legally? Are you high?

 

[noxibox]

Is it possible the US was never that competitive, but rather other countries were even less competitive? Possibly also relying a lot on immigrants to bring expertise and even an entrepreneurial spirit? Now other countries are getting more competitive, and I think more people are choosing either to not go to the US at all or simply going there for a while, then returning to their country of origin.

Perhaps the problem is that engineers are not highly regarded or well rewarded? Why go into that field when you can do something easier that makes more money? Or why bother when you can see semi-competent people getting into high management positions and being rewarded handsomely?

I don't know about business involvement in directing the education system. In the past their efforts seem to have been aimed at undermining education, attempting to turn it into training of spare parts for their business machines. In general the business world seems to lean towards wanting nice conformist employees, not people who think for themselves and rock the boat (i.e. creative innovators).

I don't think there is much real innovation in consumer electronics - it's mostly incremental improvements. A lot of it deliberate to keep people buying the next, slightly better, gadget. But maybe that is the way to improve education rather than attempting huge overhauls each time.

Strange how every successful nation know that education is key to success in an international market, yet our government, although they make some of the right noises, can't seem to get anything right. Trying to solve the problems with the wrong solutions.

Well do they know it's important or not? You say they make the right noises, so does that mean they recognise it is important? As for not getting it right, well countries with far longer experience can't seem to get it right either. It's all very well to say keep what works and get rid of what doesn't, but we are not even sure how to properly measure whether what we're doing is working. Lot's of passes or even high marks don't necessarily mean you're turning out people with real knowledge, the ability to learn more and problem-solving skills. Even back when I was at school we were warned that school was a very poor preparation for university. In fact it was absolutely atrocious at producing people able to learn on their own and solve problems. In the US they went for standardised tests, but those only really tell you you have students who are good at taking standardised tests.

How do we measure whether someone is a good teacher? And this is another field that to me only crazy people would enter. The pay is much better now, than when I was a child, but still not that much. It needs to be a field that many would love to get into, so that we can vet candidates and simply turn away those who will not be able to do it well. Of course we need a way to determine that.

Pity they got an administration fixated on pushing through it's ideological agenda and not the above

I thought the Republicans were out of the White House?

 

[Nod]

Well do they know it's important or not? You say they make the right noises, so does that mean they recognise it is important? As for not getting it right, well countries with far longer experience can't seem to get it right either. It's all very well to say keep what works and get rid of what doesn't, but we are not even sure how to properly measure whether what we're doing is working. Lot's of passes or even high marks don't necessarily mean you're turning out people with real knowledge, the ability to learn more and problem-solving skills. Even back when I was at school we were warned that school was a very poor preparation for university. In fact it was absolutely atrocious at producing people able to learn on their own and solve problems. In the US they went for standardised tests, but those only really tell you you have students who are good at taking standardised tests.

How do we measure whether someone is a good teacher? And this is another field that to me only crazy people would enter. The pay is much better now, than when I was a child, but still not that much. It needs to be a field that many would love to get into, so that we can vet candidates and simply turn away those who will not be able to do it well. Of course we need a way to determine that.

IMO, school is only there to teach kids how learn. What they learn is not as important as the fact they did learn it well. Of course school also aims to teach the basics of subjects like maths and science, which are almost always of little value when you get into university.

When our government make "the right noises", they do seem to know what is important, however they would solve the problem in the wrong way. For example, if there are not enough people that qualify for university acceptance, what do you do? I would look at the standard of education from pre-school to high school. Government would simply lower the standards in school, so that more kids have higher passing marks. Thus, they identified the issue, but solved it by using the wrong solution.

We might be in a different situation right know, if government didn't get rid of experienced people in favour of friends, family and "getting the ratio right".

 

[Palimino]

Perhaps the problem is that engineers are not highly regarded or well rewarded? Why go into that field when you can do something easier that makes more money? Or why bother when you can see semi-competent people getting into high management positions and being rewarded handsomely?

This is quite true. For decades the desired jobs in America don’t do anything constructive (easy options, more pay = Wall Street?). They manipulate man-made stuff (like money) to create wealth for themselves. A constructive job would be a medical doctor, plumber, etc. They do useful things that people are willing to pay for. Engineering is a biggie here. That’s America’s problem. The biggest hit in the economic recession is going to be taken by workers who don’t do anything useful.

A young, talented individual in America wants to get rich and have a Ferrari in their twenties. The quickest route to wealth were MBA’s and business school. That’s where the best and brightest gravitated. Engineering? Doctoring? Takes too long before rewards are received and is too hard. Wall Street here I come! Fast forward to today. Few in America can do anything useful but there are clamouring mobs of talent who can sell you toxic debt. The classified columns are full of 2nd hand Ferraris.

The moral is – DON’T study business, study recession-proof subjects and be conversant with stuff that people are willing to pay for. Raise the pay and status of engineering. Put the Wall Street pricks in jail.

 

[Jozi101]

This is quite true. For decades the desired jobs in America don’t do anything constructive (easy options, more pay = Wall Street?). They manipulate man-made stuff (like money) to create wealth for themselves. A constructive job would be a medical doctor, plumber, etc. They do useful things that people are willing to pay for. Engineering is a biggie here. That’s America’s problem. The biggest hit in the economic recession is going to be taken by workers who don’t do anything useful.

A young, talented individual in America wants to get rich and have a Ferrari in their twenties. The quickest route to wealth were MBA’s and business school. That’s where the best and brightest gravitated. Engineering? Doctoring? Takes too long before rewards are received and is too hard. Wall Street here I come! Fast forward to today. Few in America can do anything useful but there are clamouring mobs of talent who can sell you toxic debt. The classified columns are full of 2nd hand Ferraris.

The moral is – DON’T study business, study recession-proof subjects and be conversant with stuff that people are willing to pay for. Raise the pay and status of engineering. Put the Wall Street pricks in jail.

Brilliantly put... I was having a chat with my brother just yesterday about this, and i called these so called occupations "Bull***t industries". A bunch of people standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody to actually come up with a working idea, so they can bloodsuck and end up making more than the real entrepreneurs that are not afraid to work with their hands and make a meaningful contribution.

 

[Stickfigure]

The moral is – DON’T study business, study recession-proof subjects and be conversant with stuff that people are willing to pay for. Raise the pay and status of engineering. Put the Wall Street pricks in jail.

That's why when I matriculated with a B aggregate, I went straight to Technikon to study plumbing.