Chicago will host a National Urban Summit next month, sponsored by the City Colleges of Chicago, to discuss strategies to better prepare urban community college and high school students for technology jobs.
“United States companies have given up on our schools,” said Dr. Ronald J. Temple, chancellor of the City Colleges. “Our task is to reverse that process and the City Colleges of Chicago are in a unique position to take a lead role.”
Industry, education and government leaders from Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis and Detroit are planning to attend the summit. The delegations will address educational issues, including the industry’s expectations for workers, upgrading the curriculum for technical jobs, the transition from school to work and embracing diverse populations.
President Clinton has been invited to deliver the keynote address for the summit, scheduled for Nov. 12-14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Temple said the conference will discuss ways to solve the shortage of skilled technical workers.
Two-thirds of students entering the City Colleges require “substantial” remedial class work before they can take a college-level math or science course, Temple said.
“Anyone with a technical skill who wants to find technical work in Chicago can find work,” Temple said. “Our problem is we have thousands and thousands of people in Chicago who can’t take advantage of those opportunities.”
