Just last month, AT&T's Chief Executive Randall Stephenson declared that his company was struggling to fill customer service jobs in the U.S. that AT&T had promised to bring back from India. "We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," he relayed to an audience in San Antonio, where AT&T’s headquarters is located. Mr. Stephenson expressed that the solution was going to lie in fixing America's education pipeline. If businesses such as his want to remain in the U.S., they are going to need a large pool of qualified and skilled workers.

In an effort to show their commitment, today AT&T has vowed to contribute $100 million over four years to combat the high school dropout crisis and improve the skills of the U.S. workforce. The national average of students not graduating from high school in four years hovers around 30%. "Investing in a well-educated workforce may be the single most important thing we can do to help America remain the leader in a digital, global economy," Stephenson said.

In addition to AT&T, companies such as Exxon Mobil and State Farm Insurance are heavily investing in American students’ academic performance. Exxon Mobil recently committed $125 million to support the National Math and Science Initiative, which is designed to help improve math and science coursework and teaching in our K-12 school systems.

AT&T’s new initiative, ASPIRE, will provide grants to schools and organizations focused on helping students graduate from high school and become better prepared for college and/or the workforce. They are heavily investing in job shadowing, national research, and community engagement support programs.

Companies all across our nation are getting serious about investing in education and are focusing more on programs that can demonstrate results. This growing trend is a step in the right direction and it will take a collective and concerted effort to drive change.