All over Wyoming we are hearing it: “Wyoming’s workforce is not qualified to meet the needs of future industries.” Is early childhood education a part of filling that need? Economists have come to believe so.

According to a study completed at the Brookings Institute*, “a more educated labor force is more mobile and adaptable, can learn new tasks and new skills easier, can use a wider range of technologies and equipment, and is more creative in the workplace and more productive.” In order to meet the demands of the economy of the future, the world is quickly moving towards developing talents at earlier ages.

Creating Wyoming’s future workforce cannot wait until high school or college. Presenting parents with opportunities to enroll their children in early childhood educational programs taught by college-educated professionals is critical. Governor Dave Freudenthal put it this way: "We need to put Wyoming at the forefront of early education. It's right for our children, and right for business."

Currently, as many as half of all Cheyenne children arrive for kindergarten and first grade unprepared to learn. Wyoming must not get left behind. We need to invest more heavily in early childhood education. As with all things, there will be a price, but the return on investment that is earned will be substantial as productivity and ingenuity increase with each successive generation.

*Policy Brief #135, April 2006.