The technology industry, arguably, relies more heavily on talent and innovation than any other.  Without an educated, inspired and diverse talent pool, we run the risk of extinguishing future innovation and losing our footing.

To date, the conversation has been oriented around some of the most extreme examples of retention strategies that have been put in place as the talent shortage in the technology sector has grown more noticeable.  Fortunately, this year’s State of the Union speech helped shift the conversation back to the real problem: education for the next generation of innovators, technologists and engineers.

Prior to the late 19th century, basic education as we know it was only available to the wealthiest or by way of a trade. Horace Mann, the driving force behind public education in the United States, connected the dots between public education, society and industry. His legacy, now echoed in recent legislation, was built on the basis of the relationship between industrial prosperity and academic preparation.

Public education was a milestone that provided Americans with the foundation for decades of scientific and industrial innovation. This educational foundation drove our country to innovate faster and better in technology than any other nation. Indeed, it was this girding with which our society has become the dominant world power.

The United States once led the world in college graduates and was ranked at the very top in academic performance. We are now ranked 9th for the number of college graduates we matriculate and are ranked 33rd in academic performance. Several studies conducted over the last ten years clearly indicate the United States is behind the curve in education among developed nations. The bigger message that we hear a lot is: if we do not take steps to alter our course, the bleakness of our economic future will be assured.

But I’m more worried about the implications for the technology sector, specifically, than anything else.  Technology startups like Facebook, Groupon and Google have, in remarkably short periods of time, created enormous wealth and job growth.  Google is one of the largest technology companies on the planet, and it only emerged from the dreams of its founders ten years ago.

The stakes are higher in technology.  It’s an industry in which enormous companies can emerge in the blink of an eye to create thousands of new jobs, and enormous profits for reinvestment.

The policies and programs that once provided most Americans with opportunities in higher education are out-of-date and have become less aligned with the needs of American businesses.  But it’s the dramatic decline in math and sciences pose a significant risk to the technology sector. It does not take a degree in economics to realize this imperils our economy.

A Movement in the Making

On October 5, 2010, I attended the White House Summit on Community Colleges where I was asked to strategize with an impressive group of educators, industry notables, and government leaders. Our task was to help define a strategy for how the United States would achieve a set of educational goals by the year 2020. President Obama keynoted and stressed the importance of education to our nation’s long-term economic viability. The ever-inspiring Dr. Jill Biden spearheaded the event.

“Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that will not only withstand future economic storms, but one that help us thrive and compete in a global economy,” Obama stated at the Summit.

In addition to defining new strategies, the summit kicked off new efforts intended to position the United States as an economic power for decades to come. These include public and private sector partnerships, as well as new policy.

For example, “Skills for America”, an initiative announced October 4, focuses on building relationships with industry, labor unions, and community colleges. The program is a direct result of surveying employers regarding their workforce needs. The initiative already has buy in from several significant corporate partners such as Accenture, UPS, MindTouch, PG&E, United Technologies, and many others.

The Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act, signed March 30, 2010, will award $500 million to community colleges in the next year for completion of more degrees and other industry-recognized credentials.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide over $1 billion in workforce training programs at community colleges, and $40 million in Work Study to help students pay through employment.

These initiatives, and others, will serve as a driving force to inspire action on the part of both industry leaders and educators so that students will receive the necessary financial and curricula support as they pursue successful careers in business.  And that’s really the trick here.  Industry leaders need to do more to help fill the talent pool.  It’s not just about charity.

This is about innovation, profits, growth and pure business strategy.  This is about acknowledging that the tech sector has billions to lose if the pool of brilliant developers, or designers, or engineers, or scientists dries up.  We’re already seeing this with software developers, particularly as demand has gone through the roof in mobile.

Three Defining Institutions

Forty years from now historians may look back and recognize the introduction of public schools, the GI Bill, and community colleges as primary forces for the success of the United States on the world stage. The first two are already recognized as defining institutions that have helped forge the United States into the economic powerhouse that it is today. The third, community colleges, could well be a key force in assuring our future success in the same way public schools and the GI Bill have in the past.

To be sure, it is not just funding that will enable this success. Funding will help secure better access and affordability to education through community colleges, but programming must focus on the jobs of tomorrow, not just vocational tracks that prepare students for the jobs of today. If we are to maintain a competitive edge, we must bolster technology specific tracks at the community college level that deliberately lead students to the acquisition of advanced degrees and smooth transition into America’s technology workforce.

“It’s time to reform our community colleges so that they provide Americans of all ages a chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for the jobs of the future,” said Obama.

I am convinced community colleges will be pivotal in the future success of the United States for the same reasons Bill Green the CEO and Chairman of Accenture believes this. Like myself, Bill began his education at a community college.

My success would have been that much more challenging were it not for the foundation I received at community college. The skills and relationships I acquired there set me on my path to an advanced degree after receiving the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship to attend a top-ten computer science program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I firmly believe that I would not have had the skills and knowledge required for recruitment into Microsoft’s Advanced Strategies and Policies division without beginning my academic career at community college. Nor would I have had the skills to start MindTouch.

The technology industry needs to take a firm stance in advocating for this cause. Not just because it is right, or just, or kind, but also because it will affect the bottom line of every technology company in this country if we do not.  Great technology is built by diverse and innovative thinkers. But without reform, we will lose an entire future generation of technologists, and with it, our technological edge.

It’s a shame that the developer shortage has been limited in its exposure to the complaints of the HR manager.  The alarms should have been sounding 5 or 10 years ago in the CEO’s office, when demand for talent was booming, and our supply of top-notch developers and technologists wasn’t following the same curve.

If you’re a CEO of a technology company, this is not an issue that hides in your CSR program – it belongs in the boardroom and in every strategic meeting you conduct to plot out the future of your business.