Surveys of critical skills that were completed years ago showed significant gaps between the skills that
were required to perform jobs well and skills of those present or entering the workforce. Despite these
studies raising awareness, the gaps persist today and continue to widen. In the fall of 2006 the U.S.
Conference Board reported that most young people entering the U.S. work force “lack critical skills
essential for success.”According to a 2010 American Management Association (AMA) survey,
executives say that skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration,
and creativity and innovation (the four C’s) will become even more important to organizations than the
three R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic.