As we look forward to our young people graduating from high schools across the state, the million dollar question is, “Are they ready?” Are they ready for college without remediation? Are they ready to begin their professional careers and help Maine businesses compete in the global economy?

We need our students — our future workforce — to be ready for college and careers. We cannot continue to innovate and grow without a highlyskilled workforce that has the core academic knowledge and deeper learning skills — criticalthinking, communication, and collaboration — that Maine businesses need now and in the future.

I believe Maine is headed in the right direction. The state implemented more rigorous learning goals in English language arts and mathematics with the Maine Learning Results standards. The state will also implement higher quality assessments aligned to these goals to assess students’ application of core concepts and other important skills. I understand, too, that the state is intending to take a hard look at their current methodology of testing to make sure that it doesn’t result in scores that could be skewed and they are still working to refine their methodology.

That is to be encouraged.

But these initiatives are not a panacea. We must do more to address the problem that only four in ten Maine students taking the SAT college admissions test during the 2011-2012 school year scored at proficient levels in math, reading, writing, and science, according to a 2013 report by America’s Edge, a national business leader organization.

It is imperative that our high school graduates are prepared for higher education and employment with Maine businesses. According to America’s Edge, Maine needs at least an additional 15,000 highlyskilled workers if it is going to be able to fill the jobs of the future. In fact, by 2018, Maine jobs requiring post- secondary education are expected to grow seven times faster than jobs for high school dropouts.

That is a problem when 15 percent of Maine high school freshmen do not graduate within four years. Furthermore, positions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are also growing in Maine, and 87 percent of these jobs will require post-secondary education by 2018.

This “ skills gap” can be addressed by scaling up high school innovative models that provide students with project-based, real-world learning opportunities. There are many great examples of such models like the Career Academies at Lake Region High School in Naples or Casco Bay High School in Portland. Jobs for Maine’s graduates also has accomplished some great outcomes for the most at-risk students. These models provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom in real life situations and help them be better prepared for life in their future work places.

Are our young people ready to succeed? We need to do everything we can to ensure that they are — Maine’s business community and our state’s future depend on it.

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John Doyle is an attorney and a resident of Richmond.