Changes to be made to U.S. educational system

The rise of the information age will bring changes to the U.S. educational system, David Pierce, president emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges, told a group of educators at Walters State Community College on Tuesday. Pierce’s visit was part of the Nicks Lecture Series and was jointly sponsored by Walters State and East Tennessee State University. Pierce said that the educational system will be challenged in the future to produce the workforce needed as business and industry change at unprecedented rates. “Today, people need two years of college to find a good job and stay ahead economically. Not very long ago, a high school diploma would do. Not long before that, you only needed a middle school certificate. Now, you have to have some college,” Pierce explained. “That makes keeping students in the educational pipeline very important.”