Not Work Ready

I just started reading a report from ETS about High School Reform and Work and found this sobering statistic. According to research from the National Association of Manufacturers, the most common reason why companies reject applicants as hourly production workers is a lack of basic employability skills such as attendance, timeliness, work ethic, etc. (Sixty-nine percent of respondents chose this response.) I wonder how many of those production jobs are making the devices that make work more flexible and convenient (cell phones, computers, etc.) Keep in mind that we market many modern products by telling people that their purchase will buy them some form of freedom or an opportunity to break the rules. No wonder timeliness and attendance aren't respected.