Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal incorporating Journal of Global Competitiveness

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a model of possible solutions to potential employment issues arising from the outsourcing job trend. The case study offers university administrators and education policy makers the rationale to develop sequential, fully articulated education programs that equip the students with job skills that make them competitive in a global work force.

Design/methodology/approach – The objective is achieved through a case study of an outsourcing outfit in Jonesboro, Arkansas. A range of recently published academic research and vocational literature provide the statistical background for the experiment conducted at Arkansas State University.

Findings – The US education system is not competitive when compared to Asian and European education systems, which emphasize math, science, and foreign languages. Collaboration between government-funded entities and corporate America to invest in training the American human capital, as in the case of rural sourcing, is crucial to guarantee America's continuing position as a super world power.

Research limitations/implications – Resources include academic research as well as popular vocational publications to ensure the valid representation of academia and corporate America. In addition, several on-site interviews and observations were conducted. However, due to the fluidity of the outsourcing situation, constant updating of data are required. Consulting the most recent statistics and publications is recommended to stay abreast of the situation.

Practical implications – Recommendations to globalize the American education system are made and are currently being shared with education policy makers at the state level. These recommendations include the implementation of foreign language requirements and more rigorous math and science programs in high schools.

Originality/value – This paper identifies practical tools to overcome the threats of outsourcing jobs to Asia through offering a road map to globalize the American education system with the goal of preparing a competitive workforce for the twenty-first century.