(From left to right) Clive Crook, Senior Editor, The Atlantic; Bob Templin, President, Northern Virginia Community College; Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor; Jay Timmons, President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers

Representatives from higher education, government and industry had a wide-ranging discussion about what needs to be done to prepare the country’s workforce for the 21st century economy his morning at the Newseum.  The discussion touched on manufacturing as well as other sectors of the economy–global competition is having an economy-wide effect.  Are we doing enough to prepare our workforce for this reality?

The forum on Innovation and America’s Future sought to answer that question.  The event, which was hosted by the Atlantic, featured the NAM’s Jay Timmons, Bob Templin of Northern Virginia Community College, Jane Oates from the Department of Labor.  The Atlantic‘s Clive Crook moderated.