The economy and education are related strongly. Quality education is intricately linked to economic growth and prosperity. In any economy, a qualified workforce, further, plays a very important role, especially in case of developed countries such as US, working as a stimulant for the economy. In recent times, the educationists have seen that collaboration among leaders in education, business and government improves the workforce development, and broad public support enhances the result of the said development.
With this background, the Economics Center for Education & Research and the Institute for Policy Research (both at the University of Cincinnati) conducted a survey amongst the residents in one local county to gain their perspective of the connections among education, economic growth and workforce development. It was found that there is overwhelming recognition among the public that education improves the quality of life and usually leads to more satisfying and higher-paying jobs. A majority of the people amongst whom the poll was conducted agreed that good quality public schools in a district attracted new business and jobs. The residents' assessment of the importance of education was offset by their evaluation of their schools' performance. While a strong majority of those surveyed believed it was 'very important' that their local schools adequately prepare students for a successful career, only a minority of respondents agreed that their school districts accomplished this task.
