Employers report hiring substantial numbers of new entrants who are poorly prepared, requiring additional corporate investment to improve workforce readiness skills. And while almost half (46 percent) of the companies surveyed by The Conference Board and its research partners provide readiness training programs for new hires, the majority find these programs to be "moderately" or "somewhat successful" at best. At a time when workforce talent is a major issue in the global competitiveness of U.S. business, the report raises several questions concerning the overall effectiveness of these training programs.

Joining The Conference Board in this research project are Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and ASTD (American Society for Training & Development)