Neely worries about a "lost generation" of job seekers and encourages young people to focus on gaining skills that are in demand skills in areas such as the sciences, math, engineering and other technical areas.

NPR: CEOs Head To Davos More Pessimistic About 2013

Third, sector programs have had difficulty finding people with the math and English skills necessary to master technical skills quickly.

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As a result, the report recommends a "science and technical education act" offering loans to college students studying science, math and engineering, with the loans being forgiven if the student agrees to work for the government for a given number of years.

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And the important thing is that you have a good, solid background in the technical fields -- the science, the technology, the engineering and the math -- to build on that, because once everyone comes and is selected as an astronaut, we all train generically for space flight, and then we train specifically for our mission.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama's call to the International Space Station