The federal government is scrambling to find a way to create jobs; Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has promised to create jobs; many business organizations want government to get out of the way so they can create jobs.

The rest of us have a responsibility in this struggle, too: We need to make sure we’re qualified to handle the jobs when they open up.

ACT Inc., the prominent testing and educational company in Iowa City, reported last week that “a significant segment of today’s labor force does not have the requisite skills that employers demand.”

ACT tested workers and would-be workers with what it calls U.S. WorkKeys assessments. It reported: “For manufacturing, health care, construction and energy-related target occupations requiring a middle or high level of education, the majority of U.S. WorkKeys examinees are not able to demonstrate the required skill level for locating information. This skill involves the ability to locate, synthesize and use information from workplace graphics such as charts, graphs, tables, forms, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, maps and instrument gauges.”

The study also noted: “The results of ACT’s analysis imply that level of education does not necessarily relate to gaps in foundational on-the-job skills; in fact, it seems that the gap in foundational skills demanded by employers widens as the level of education increases.”

That might be the most troubling thought of all, that our expensive system of higher education doesn’t give young people the tools they need to make a good living.

We’ve learned this decade that living beyond our means leads to disaster. Too many Americans were buying houses out of their real price range and borrowing money for vacations and gadgets that they couldn’t afford.

If we’re throwing money at education but getting poor results, the consequences could be less dramatic but, in the long run, just as devastating.