To survive the 21st-century work force, people from all fields must work together, consultant and speaker Jim Brazell said Monday.

Jim Brazell

About 300 people attended Brazell’s talk, hosted by the school board at Denton High School.

Brazell urged the audience to return “to a renaissance of education where students will have a well-rounded education” that integrates an array of disciplines with science and technology.

He offered examples of technological advances now in development — a hybrid car that gets 100 miles per gallon, and a device that could allow people who use a wheelchair to walk again.

Perceptions of jobs and schools are out of date, Brazell said, and it’s time to shift those perceptions and engage students in curricula they need for jobs of the future.

Trade and vocational training was once thought of as not leading to higher education, he said. But today, it sets the stage for students to go on to receive college degrees.

High-skill jobs now require that applicants have a high school diploma and at least two years of college, he said.

“In the past, many jobs were blue-collar trade jobs, and many jobs now require people to have knowledge of computers. The trade jobs are not what they used to be. They’re more tech-based,” Brazell said.

Brazell opened his hour-long lecture, “The Future Is Here: Emerging Technology, Jobs and Community Strategies,” by talking about the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik I and the surge of science and technology advances it ignited, both abroad and in the United States.

Modern cars have more computer capacity built into them than was needed to land the first man on the moon, he said.

Brazell discussed his theory of the new “Millennial Sputnik” — which joins together science and technological innovation, globalization and diversity.

To compete on the world stage, the U.S. will have to focus on its capacity for innovation, he said. Brazell suggested that starts with colleges and universities collaborating with primary and secondary schools.

He also stressed the importance of the elder generations supporting and teaching students who will one day lead society.

Brazell’s presentation was followed by a 45-minute question-and-answer session.

Superintendent Ray Braswell said afterward that there’s no doubt that today’s young people have a better grasp of technology and it’s important to embrace that. He said it’s vital to look at ideas for forming innovative solutions.

Board president Charles Stafford, who also attended Monday’s discussion, said he agrees with Brazell’s solution, noting that cross-training and a multiple-discipline approach are vital. Some jobs that high school students will one day take on do not yet exist, he said, so students must learn skills that allow them to adapt.

Students need to be equipped with the knowledge needed to answer tomorrow’s pressing issues, he said.

“There’s a certain amount of calculating risk-taking that needs to take place,” Stafford said. “We know we have to encourage our kids to go beyond ordinary.”

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com .