Americans think individuals and public schools should have the most responsibility to make sure workers have the right skills % saying these groups should have rightskills responsibility and education in making be successful sure that the 's economy
Six-in-ten adults say the public K-12 education system has a lot of responsibility in making sure the U.S. workforce has the right skills and education to be successful in today’s economy, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in association with the Markle Foundation in 2016. The only entity or institution that more people say has a lot of responsibility is “individuals themselves,” cited by 72% of adults.
Americans express a bit more ambivalence toward the role of colleges and universities in workforce preparation, with around half of adults (52%) saying these higher-education institutions should have a lot of responsibility in making sure workers have the right skills and education to succeed. About half (49%) say employers should have a lot of responsibility in this role, but people are less likely to assign a lot of responsibility to state (40%) and federal governments (35%).
Americans think individuals and public schools should  | have the most responsibility to make sure workers  | have the right skills  | % saying these groups should have  | rightskills responsibility and education in making be successful sure that  | the the American workforce has the rightskills and education to be successful in  | the 's economy  | lot of Some Only a little None  | Individuals themselves  | 72  | 22  | Public K-12 education  | 60  | 28  | system  | Colleges and  | 52  | 35  | universities  | Employers  | 49  | 39  | State governments  | 40  | 35  | 15  | Federal government  | 35  | 34  | 18  | 11  | Note: "Don 'tknow/Refused" responses not shown.  | Source: "Don Survey ofl. S. adults cond lucted May 25-June 29. 2016.  | "The State Survey ofAmerican Jobs  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 