Well, the title says it all. Over 30 long years, America has risen to power on the back of the most skilled workforce in the world. Recent statistics are evidence enough that the United States of America is the most preferred destination for highly skilled professionals around the world. But that has steadily been changing. With the new government norms and the political noise surrounding immigration in the country, professionals from other parts of the world are slowly turning to more lucrative opportunities. While this has added up to our loss, other developed nations in search of highly skilled talent have benefited. Target nations such as Germany, France and Australia have been the recipients of some of the best professionals of the corporate world.

But political reform isn’t the sole culprit to be blamed here. It is also our education system that has been steadily falling behind in making sure we churn out the kind of students and professionals that are demanded by the industry. It’s not that our education standards have been falling; it’s just that the world has moved ahead of us and we’ve failed to take notice. Online education in the country has grown rapidly over the last few years precisely because of this reason. Traditional schooling hasn’t been able to keep up with the demands of the corporate world, which is why corporates prefer hiring foreign talent as opposed to a homegrown workforce. In order for us to bridge this gap and ensure our children stand a fighting chance we need to embrace alternative solutions such as online home schooling and distance learning.

Nations from around the world, especially from the South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, have slowly been upgrading the skills of their workforces in order for them to be able to compete globally. While they have been doing that, America has been resting on the laurels of its past accomplishments, which has led to us lacking the necessary skilled workforce and an expensive destination for doing business. Over time, our traditional methods of imparting education have fallen short of delivering what was needed, which is what online K-12 courses have been making good on. Online homeschooling and distance learning solutions have offered students across the nation variable options differing according to their individual needs.

Having such an environment at their disposal has only made acquiring the necessary skills a lot easier. More than just convenience, online high schools, online middle schools and even online elementary schools now offer students and parents access to opportunities that were once considered out of reach. Consider the Advanced Placement programs for example. The traditional system has been plagued by limitations that make it hard for most students to enroll for them resulting in a biased approach in allotting admission to these courses. Online home schooling however, has now made it a whole lot easier for students wishing to enroll for such courses. More than just access, students can now opt for courses that are not offered by their local public school. That is one of the major advantages of distance learning and online education.

Students now have access to teachers across the nation via integrated online learning systems. They no longer need to be dependent on the local availability of qualified teachers. Teachers too, no longer need to move to locations based on the demand for their respective qualifications. They can now join online schools depending on the requirement for their skills without relocating to that particular school and can offer students from multiple locations across the country access to their expertise and knowledge. This is primarily one of the major reasons for the spurt in growth in online high schools and online middle schools in the country.

The setting up of online elementary schools in the country has been lagging slightly behind on account of the necessary support system that is required to accompany the integrated, online learning system. Since it takes a little longer for toddlers to adapt to a learning environment that’s based on the Internet, parents are required to provide the necessary support at that age. Being able to enroll for online K-12 courses has provided students with multiple opportunities that span a variety of different subjects. The most noteworthy aspect about online education is that students can do all of this from the comfort of their own homes, without the added stress and travel. Broadening your mind through exposure to various other subjects is one way of ensuring you develop multiple skills that will ensure your survival. Being a jack of all trades but a master of none seems to go a long way in the current scenario.

Bridging the gap in skills is absolutely vital if we are to make the most of the current recession and if we hope to come out of this stronger than other nations. The damage caused by the shortage or inadequacy of skill sets will be felt a lot more in the years to come if we overlook the opportunities that have been presented to our younger generation through online K-12 courses. The apprehension toward something new will always be there but we cannot allow that to stop us from exploring new avenues, especially ones that offer you a high probability for success. The recent growth in the presence of online schools all across the nation is testament to their success and the recent studies endorsing the progress and achievements of students who’ve enrolled with them only offer more proof of the potential impact they can have on helping our youth develop their skills.

There’s absolutely no denying that traditional schooling methods aren’t sufficient anymore. We have to dig deeper to ensure our children maintain their competitive edge in the job market. Whether they are online high schools, online middle schools or even online elementary schools in the country, we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned in exploring opportunities for our children. After all, they are the future of America!