THE BUSINESS WORD.

THE BUSINESS WORD. FROM THE AMERICAN American,river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of BUSINESS AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP Workforce Reality There is one incontrovertible in��con��tro��vert��i��ble?adj.Impossible to dispute; unquestionable: incontrovertible proof of the defendant's innocence.in��con reality we must face when we dealwith work, the workplace and the workforce: change--rapid, irreversible irreversible (ir´ēvur´sebl),adj incapable of being reversed or returned to the original state. ,inevitable change. As educators and as employers, we must quickly respond to thenature and the reality of change if we're we're?Contraction of we are.we'rewe are to keep our commitment tothe students who look to us and to what we do as the keys to unlockingtheir economic and social futures. The changes that have taken place in the past 20 years and willcontinue to take place for the next 20 years are unlike any that ourworld and society have seen before. Let's look specifically at thechange in the workforce, which is occurring in every part of our nation. There is one reality that many people--decision-makers in botheducation and the private sector--have not yet really realized: thechange in the demographic face of America. One of the country's foremost educational demographers, HaroldHodgkinson writes that "by the year 2000 America will be a nationin which one in every three of us will be non-white. And minorities willcover a broader socio-economic range than ever before, making simplistic sim��plism?n.The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications.[French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple treatment of their needs even less useful." Other demographers say Hodgkinson may be a little premature in hisprojection in terms of time, not inevitability. But the implication ofthis reality is inescapable. The change in this nation's population base is a reality thatno one can afford to ignore. But as I speak with decision-makers invarious parts of the country, I am constantly amazed a��maze?v. a��mazed, a��maz��ing, a��maz��esv.tr.1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise.2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex.v.intr. at how so manytraditional-thinking educators and business people don't believe inthis demographic reality. It is a fact that we must never lose sight ofas we prepare for the future. The educational and social needs of new entrants into theworkforce--and the impact of those needs on schools and businesses--willbe profound. You can argue with the percentages or the timing. But thischange in the country's population is inevitable. And thisdemographic reality is just the beginning. The ability to succeed in the core careers of the 21st centuryisn't based on race or ethnicity ethnicityVox populi Racial status–ie, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic . It isn't based on geography,and it isn't based on gender. The key to future success is theability to access education--to make the most of the opportunities togain useful knowledge for future careers and to demonstrate the skillsthat knowledge provides. The key to success is to go to school, learn, graduate withspecific skills, deliver proof of those skills and embark on Verb 1. embark on - get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans a careerpath. This will help grow the class of educated, employable, flexible,mobile workers who form the backbone of our American economy. To speak with Ricardo Valencia call (703) 276-5833 or e-mailrvalenica@usatoday.com The American Business and Education Partnership is sponsored by AVA. To learn more about the partnership, call (800) 826-9972. Ricardo Valencia Director of Education USA Today USA TodayNational U.S. daily general-interest newspaper, the first of its kind. Launched in 1982 by Allen Neuharth, head of the Gannett newspaper chain, it reached a circulation of one million within a year and surpassed two million in the 1990s. (Arlington, Va.)