Posts filed under 'workforce readinesss'
July 25th, 2008
While people have had differing comments on the world of video games, one thing that cannot be denied is that it stimulates learning - whether good or bad.
When I played video games in my younger days, we simply had to press the red button to shoot an astroid or jump over an alligator. Nowadays, there are at least 3 or 4 buttons to select from. In addition, if you combine them in certain orders (along with the directional arrows), you can do other maneuvers that look fearspme and relatively uncomfortable for the body.
In my own kids, I find they sometimes have trouble remembering some of the things they are taught in their classes, but they can remember a string of 15 commands that will make their video game character do some most amazing things.
Many are finding the benefits of incorporating educational materials with fun, interactive games. One such example with Junior Achievement is called JA Titan, which allows high school students to run a company and make the appropriate decisions in a video game environment. During the program they listen to a volunteer discuss certain business aspects such as price and products. Then they put these learned skills to work. There are a lot of “a-ha’s”, especially as they compete against their classmates.
Interactive activities aren’t just fun between a young person and a computer. Throw yourself in there as well. You can bring the experience to them that will allow them to USE the education they are learning. This will stick with them and help benefit them as the get older.
July 14th, 2008
For our next edition of What It Takes, we are honored to include Dave Rydell, Chairman & CEO of Bergstrom and an inductee in the 2008 Rockford Area Business Hall of Fame.
Description: As Chairman of Bergstrom, it is my job to pick a great
person to be the Chief Operating Officer of the company; to set the
strategic direction of the company in consultation with the other
officers; and to determine the culture of the company which will allow the
goals and objectives to be achieved.
Skills: In today’s world, a minimum of a 4 year college education with
preference for a master’s degree. A Master’s degree may be necessary to
be considered for the position the person wants. Certainly, a person
needs to have the attitude that they will stick with a challenge until
the goal(s) are met. They also need a very positive attitude and the
ability to work with a variety of personality types.
Advice: As much education as you can get. Fifteen to twenty years of
job and market experience would be necessary to get a top position.
Global experience would be necessary to get a top position.
July 9th, 2008
In talking to many students about their plans “when they grow up,” I find that elementary school students often want to be a dozen different things while high schoolers don’t even know where to begin.
It’s a cliche, but it is a big world out there and the world is your oyster (okay, that’s two cliches). Coming out of high school, it’s imposing to try to figure out which direction to choose and often, it’s tempting to go with the easiest path.
Here’s a tool that might be helpful. It’s called the JA Student Center… http://studentcenter.ja.org. You can find information on scholarships, colleges, careers, education financing, and other good things.
Check it out. You may find it useful.
July 7th, 2008
Recently, I was looking over some past newspapers and I came across the article last week entitled “Poll: Schools not properly preparing kids” and it made me think of the overused adage “It takes a village…”
I’m curious to hear from others on their thoughts about what’s different about schools today versus when they were younger? Were the teachers more qualified? Did the jobs require less skill?
Another question. Who else was involved in your education?
Each day, teachers spend 6 to 7 hours during the fall, winter, and spring with our youth teaching the requirements as mandated by government. Those are the building blocks and many of the teachers I have met have worked hard to provide a great foundation to their students.
This year, I have been looking at building a deck in the back of my house. I considered building it myself, but my greatest fear is getting the frame in and grounded. If that’s not done properly, then the whole thing is going to collapse during some great summertime party. I’m going to leave this to someone who can be sure to do it properly. My job will be to add the rest.
With many more hours out of school, our youth have plenty of time to add to the foundation laid by the teachers. If that foundation is good, then we as parents, families, neighbors and community members can do what we can to make sure that our youth are truly prepared for the future of their dreams.
What can we do?
There are a number of ways to help. Getting involved in the many good organizations locally that serve the youth of our community is one great way. Working with your kids at home is another.
Maybe create job shadow experiences for them. Last year, I took my oldest to Giovanni’s to get an idea of what it would be like to be a chef. It was a great eye-opening experience that allowed him to see what he has to do to get that dream job.
Raising and educating a child is a huge job that we can’t just leave to only a few. Each of us provides a unique tool that our youth can use to become a success in our global economy.
June 19th, 2008
A comment you hear from many in this community is that our youth are not getting the proper training for the jobs that they want, thus we end up with a weak hiring pool.
There are a number of ideas of the root causes of this problem ranging from bad parenting to the lack of support in schools and everything in between. In the meantime, we continue to suffer from students simply not being prepared.
As I have recently been getting ready to send one of mine off to college in a year, it has occurred to me that, perhaps, one of the big reasons our youth have this issue is because their future is so big. What is a next step? It’s like trying to get from Rockford to Anchorage without knowing which way to pull out of your driveway.
We need to work with our youth to let them know what that NEXT step is. It’ll be different for everyone. Is it getting an idea of what kinds of careers appeal to you? Is it learning how to compare schools? Or is it just doing everything in your power to ensure you are in school each and every day.
The next step is the big one. You’re not going to get any further without that one. The final destination is almost impossible to see with each step blocking the view. Like dominoes, as each one falls, the pathway becomes clearer.
June 12th, 2008
I think the Human Service Department’s program summer job program for teens is a huge step towards preparing our youth for the world of work (zhttp://www.rrstar.com/homepage/x513606232/Rockfords-human-services-department-has-jobs-for-teens).
By teaching them the skills now, they will be ready for full time work when they complete their education. What do you think? Do you remember your first job?
June 12th, 2008
Our first submission for What it Takes comes from Megan Nilson, who is a Administrative Assistant/Five Star Coordinator at Jack Wolf Chrysler Jeep.
Title: Administrative Assistant/ Five Star Coordinator
Description: My job contiunally changes. Duties include answering and
directing all incoming calls as well greeting customers and directing them
to the appropriate department. Through out my years of employement I hav
been allowed the flexability to create an excel based sales and service
customer follow up program. I designed and implemented follow-up postcards
for the sales and service department resulting in a higher percentage of
repeat customers. My job also includes scheduling all five start classes
for the entire dealership. I also have created a monthly news letter
distributed to over 130 employees to promote empoyee unity and team
spirit.
Skills: The skills required to be successful in the administrative field
include the ability to successfully multi-task and priorities duties.
This is a position that requires strong organizational and personal
skills.
Advice: Advice for others seeking to enter this field would be to
continue to take computer classes to keep you up to date on the latest
programs and internet abilities. Learn how to manage your time
effectively.
Thanks to Megan for providing her information. Remember, we are looking for input from others who are willing to share their jobs and what it took to get them there. This is a great resource to our youth who are looking for a map to get from where they are to where they want to be. Submissions can be made at http://rockford.ja.org.
May 15th, 2008
Tuesday I spent some time at the Go Global or Get Left Behind conference at NIU-Rockford Center. Along with me I brought two high school students from Auburn and Guilford who won this year’s Rockford in 20 essay competition.
After talking to them and listening to the conference, it made me realize how vital Rockford’s role is in the global market and how many of our youth are more prepared than we think to succeed in the global economy.
Do you think our youth are ready?
May 6th, 2008
I thought this was rather interesting:
More than half of all teens surveyed (54 percent) believe they are “extremely likely” or “very likely” to have their ideal job one day according to a Junior Achievement survey conducted by Harris Interactive, which polled teens nationwide. Such optimism among teens is relatively uniform across gender and age bands but is down significantly from a similar poll in 2000 conducted by Junior Achievement.
Achieving self-awareness of one’s noble purpose and vocational calling is a right of passage that, increasingly, teens look to their schools to help them develop. Where do they expect to learn the skills needed for their future careers? According to the survey, nearly half (47 percent) selected a traditional source—”classroom education.” Coming in a distant second was “on the job training” (24 percent).
“Results of this poll demonstrate how critical it is to get work-readiness programs into our schools,” said Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of JA Worldwide. “Junior Achievement helps prepare students for success in a global economy and bridges the gap between what they learn in school and what happens in the world of work.”
Junior Achievement has three work-readiness programs, which are invited into classrooms by educators and taught by business people and other volunteers from the local community. JA Careers with a Purposeâ„¢ helps teens answer the age-old question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” In addition to providing students with information about specific career paths, program activities teach students the skills associated with understanding the world of work such as enhancing personal awareness of vocational interests, skills, and values; recognizing the importance of ethics in career and life decisions; and exploring careers in high-growth, in-demand industries such as healthcare.
With the help of a $250,000 grant from the HCA Foundation, Junior Achievement is reaching middle grades and high school students in their classrooms. “We’re inspiring students to align their skills and interests with a career calling,” said John Steele, Senior VP of Human Resources at HCA. “JA Careers with a Purpose can help our young people be successful in their work and in their lives. This is an investment in the future workforce.”
The survey was administered online in December 2007 by Harris Interactive on behalf of Junior Achievement and included responses from 626 teens, ages 13 to 18.
What do you think?
