Automation and AI create and destroy jobs simultaneously, changing America’s “job mix” as they go. Workers who add skills become more productive and move up to higher paying jobs. Workers who fail to add skills fall into the lower paying service jobs robots and A.I. cannot perform.

Eighty-three percent of U.S. jobs that pay under $20/hour will soon be subject to automation. And 2.1 million new skilled manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030. Our high schools are not producing a prepared workforce; business leaders are struggling to meet their employment demands. Because they cannot find enough talented graduates nearby, local companies are forced to look elsewhere. The solution starts in schools.

Today’s students need basic technical skills, the ability to learn continuously, good judgment and teamwork, and self-reliance. They must be ready to move through jobs quicker, reskill when necessary, and take advantage of new technologies.