Abstract
Workforce readiness of entry-level employees was an age-old interdisciplinary concern not only for the business industry but also the education industry and the political arena as well. According to the United States Department of Labor, there were not enough qualified employees to fill the open positions within the business industry (2012). The lack of workers impacted the level of production and/or the quality of service, which indirectly impacted the economy. Due to concerns about the competiveness of the United States in a global economy, the political arena enacted legislation to improve workforce readiness through student achievement, which impacted the education industry. The study began with an examination of the interconnectedness of the United States economy, politics, and education in relation to the preparation secondary students received prior to entry into the workforce. |The study used qualitative research and grounded theory to investigate the phenomenon of unqualified workers upon entry into the workforce from the perspective of those near the end of the developmental process in the PK-12 educational system. The study consisted of qualitative interviews with eleventh grade students as to their perception of awareness and application of 21st Century skills in the classroom as well as the relevance and transference to the workforce. Purposely selected participants were interviewed to determine where, how, and why the connection between the classroom and workforce occurred with regard to the transference of 21st Century skill.