Industry to Educator Externship Program
Last week I had an opportunity to participate in the Industry to Educator Summit at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. This event brought together teachers and companies who participated in an externship program last year for high school teachers in Northeast Indiana. It was great to meet teachers who are making a difference in the lives of our young people.
As I was listening to the teachers and industry professionals from Raytheon, ITT, Northrop Grumen, and BAE Systems talk about their experiences, I was excited to consider the fact that this experience not only affected these teachers, it impacted the students they teach. It's wonderful to know that a program exists to connect teachers to professionals who are in careers that many of their students want to do. Call it the "bird’s eye view" of a career. I think what really struck me most was one of the teachers explaining that she now had an answer for the student who asks "when will I ever use this information?” Now she knows exactly how students will use it because of her experience last summer in the externship program.
I think the real value here is that educators get the chance to see just how important their role is in teaching young people and inspiring them to pursue careers that are related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These careers are Northeast Indiana’s future. If we don't have young people who are interested in pursuing them, we'll already be ten steps behind other regions.
Ask a young person why they chose a major or career and often they will tell you that they had a really great teacher in that subject during high school. Our teachers are critical to helping our young people understand their career options and providing them with the skills they need to be successful. A young person who gets engaged in a career path early, and gets experience through internships will be more likely to have then type of skills companies are looking for in their employees.
I am so happy to know that the Industry to Educator Externship program exists to provide teachers with first-hand knowledge of the types of careers and projects that are taking place right here in Northeast Indiana. If you would like more information about this great program, go to www.industry2educators.com or contact jfisher@fwchamber.org.
TECHFEST Is Coming
Make plans now to attend the first annual Northeast Indiana TechFEST on April 16th at Sweetwater Sound. This amazing event, which developed from an idea between the Fort Wayne Mayor’s Office and Atos Origin, provides Northeast Indiana High School students with the opportunity to compete in video game tournaments, a problem solving competition, an IPOD “Battle of the Bands”, a Speed Texting competition, breakout sessions with guest speakers, informational tables about area careers and colleges with STEM related majors, and much more. Young people can register at www.neitechfest.com and the cost is only $10 to participate in up to 2 games. If you have a high schooler, get them involved in this fun and interactive day!
Email vs. Social Media as a Communication Tool
So I admit, it's been a while since I last posted! I said in a previous post that I would get better and clearly I have not.
This months topic is based on a question I received today during a presentation I helped deliver at the 2011 Teaching Conference at IPFW. The basics of the question surrounded student usage of email (or lack there of) and are we enabling them to create bad habits now by our willingness to utilize social media to reach out and connect with them?
That's really a great question and one that has come up before. In a great article on Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-e-mail-dead.html the question is asked "Is Email Dead?" According to the article, people just aren't utilizing email as much (especially younger people) to communicate. Other social media outlets and text messaging offer a much quicker mode of communication and is more readily utilized by teens. That's not to say they don't use email, because they do. They just don't use it as much as other services.
Of course we realize that emailing in a business setting is not going away anytime soon, but there have already been some changes in the way professionals communicate at work. I'll give you a few examples:
How much do you want to bet that when email first came out, people thought we would never get rid of our face-to-face interactions and opt for the less personal written communication? Now, both are regularly utilized as acceptable forms of business etiquette. I'm sure there were some who thought email would just be a flash in the pan.
When IM came along, many companies began using that to communicate quickly internally. No need to wait for an email and then a response and then a response to the response...the whole conversation happened in real time.
In LinkedIn and Facebook, those who may never have met you or had access to your email address can now reach out to you and send you a message. If we were only using email, you might miss out on connections!
I read on Twitter that one company sent a text message to offer a candidate a position with their company...and the candidate accepted via text message. Without a single email, both the company and the candidate knew instantly if the person would be joining their team.
The truth is, emailing will probably not go by the way side, at least not yet any way,but the reality is there are a variety of other ways we can communicate with each other. Young people know this already, sometimes the rest of us just have to catch up.
So when the question is posed, are we letting young people get away with not acting professionally by ignoring their emails, because we're trying to reach them through Facebook, LinkedIn, Texting, or other avenues? The answer is yes and no. I think there is a balance here that we can strike between giving in and not budging.
Here's what I recommend...Continue to reiterate to young people that the main form of expected professional communication continues to be email. If they cannot learn to respond in a timely manner or they don't check it, then they might just be missing opportunities. There are always consequences for bad behavior and not checking or responding to email will have a downside. On the other hand though, don't be afraid to try some of the new forms of communication that are out there. Facebook, texting, and other more instant forms of communication can actually be very beneficial to you and young people.
In the end, we all know, email will not be going away for now, so eventually students will have to use it. For now though, maybe it's better that they at least hear your message, regardless of which communication tool it comes through.
This months topic is based on a question I received today during a presentation I helped deliver at the 2011 Teaching Conference at IPFW. The basics of the question surrounded student usage of email (or lack there of) and are we enabling them to create bad habits now by our willingness to utilize social media to reach out and connect with them?
That's really a great question and one that has come up before. In a great article on Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-e-mail-dead.html the question is asked "Is Email Dead?" According to the article, people just aren't utilizing email as much (especially younger people) to communicate. Other social media outlets and text messaging offer a much quicker mode of communication and is more readily utilized by teens. That's not to say they don't use email, because they do. They just don't use it as much as other services.
Of course we realize that emailing in a business setting is not going away anytime soon, but there have already been some changes in the way professionals communicate at work. I'll give you a few examples:
How much do you want to bet that when email first came out, people thought we would never get rid of our face-to-face interactions and opt for the less personal written communication? Now, both are regularly utilized as acceptable forms of business etiquette. I'm sure there were some who thought email would just be a flash in the pan.
When IM came along, many companies began using that to communicate quickly internally. No need to wait for an email and then a response and then a response to the response...the whole conversation happened in real time.
In LinkedIn and Facebook, those who may never have met you or had access to your email address can now reach out to you and send you a message. If we were only using email, you might miss out on connections!
I read on Twitter that one company sent a text message to offer a candidate a position with their company...and the candidate accepted via text message. Without a single email, both the company and the candidate knew instantly if the person would be joining their team.
The truth is, emailing will probably not go by the way side, at least not yet any way,but the reality is there are a variety of other ways we can communicate with each other. Young people know this already, sometimes the rest of us just have to catch up.
So when the question is posed, are we letting young people get away with not acting professionally by ignoring their emails, because we're trying to reach them through Facebook, LinkedIn, Texting, or other avenues? The answer is yes and no. I think there is a balance here that we can strike between giving in and not budging.
Here's what I recommend...Continue to reiterate to young people that the main form of expected professional communication continues to be email. If they cannot learn to respond in a timely manner or they don't check it, then they might just be missing opportunities. There are always consequences for bad behavior and not checking or responding to email will have a downside. On the other hand though, don't be afraid to try some of the new forms of communication that are out there. Facebook, texting, and other more instant forms of communication can actually be very beneficial to you and young people.
In the end, we all know, email will not be going away for now, so eventually students will have to use it. For now though, maybe it's better that they at least hear your message, regardless of which communication tool it comes through.
Beyond :"Poking" and "Like it"
Presented at the 2011 Teaching Conference at IPFW with Cindy Verduce and Heather Burgette from Indiana Tech. Great topic and a lot of fun to present!!!
Beyond poking and like it
View more presentations from Jen Fisher.
Are You Prepared?
The economy over the last several years has created an interesting situation in the workforce. Those who were planning to retire a few years ago saw their retirement portfolio's take a nose dive and made the decision to stay in the workforce. For companies, this meant they didn't have to worry about who their next leaders would be, so a lot of employment decisions were put on hold. For young people graduating from college, this meant no big jobs with huge salaries and certainly very little opportunity to be the bright new star coming in to save the day. Of course, I'm over-exaggerating a little here. Young people still have some opportunity but many companies immediate need to hire them really did get pushed aside and we’re seeing high numbers of unemployment in young people.
Now things are beginning to change some. Many who delayed retirement are once again looking ahead to their “free from work” futures. I would give it 3 to 5 years before our workforce is suffering from a real gap in knowledge and skills if plans are not put in place now to teach and train new leaders.
I have talked to many companies who don’t even have this on their radar to think about yet. In my mind, this is truly short-sighted thinking and will create a serious problem for those organizations that have not planned for employee retirement. So the question is, do you have a plan in place to train your new employees how to be leaders or does the knowledge and skill of your more experienced employees get lost when they leave?
It scares me to think that there is a potential gap that will mean a great deal of knowledge, skills, and understanding will be completely lost. I recently heard a story about NASA. In the 1960’s when America was working so hard to put a man on the moon, amazing advances in science and technology were made in order to make that happen. Over time, priorities shifted and putting a man on the moon wasn’t the focus of NASA. Through the years, those who were involved in that initiative eventually retired and many have now passed away. Unfortunately for NASA, there was no plan in place to capture the knowledge and advances that those scientists discovered. I’m not sure if you’re like me but I thought to myself, “Okay, there have to have been enough advances over the years that it’s not that big of a deal”. Apparently it’s a huge deal! Fast forward to today, and there is a major issue brewing. America would like to go back to the moon. The problem, no one knows how to do it anymore. Scientists have to start from scratch to figure out how to make it work. Can you imagine how much time and money would have been saved if someone would have just taken notes originally!
So here’s my point with this whole rant…if you’re not already making plans to train your future leaders, then you should be. There are some great resources out there to help employers connect with young people eager to be your next star. A great way to start is to bring a high school or college student in for a multi-year internship opportunity with your company. You get a chance to test the waters, and the student learns the ins and outs of the job. In 3-5 years, they graduate and you have a ready-made workforce with solid knowledge of your company. If you operate in Indiana there is a great resource called www.indianaintern.net that can help you connect to students and post internship opportunities for free. This really is a win-win for everyone. You get an enthusiastic young person, and the student gets knowledge and skills to be a better employee!
The moral of this story…start planning now! Don’t wait until it’s too late and your scrambling to figure out how to train your new workforce to do the things your seasoned and experienced employees were doing.
Now things are beginning to change some. Many who delayed retirement are once again looking ahead to their “free from work” futures. I would give it 3 to 5 years before our workforce is suffering from a real gap in knowledge and skills if plans are not put in place now to teach and train new leaders.
I have talked to many companies who don’t even have this on their radar to think about yet. In my mind, this is truly short-sighted thinking and will create a serious problem for those organizations that have not planned for employee retirement. So the question is, do you have a plan in place to train your new employees how to be leaders or does the knowledge and skill of your more experienced employees get lost when they leave?
It scares me to think that there is a potential gap that will mean a great deal of knowledge, skills, and understanding will be completely lost. I recently heard a story about NASA. In the 1960’s when America was working so hard to put a man on the moon, amazing advances in science and technology were made in order to make that happen. Over time, priorities shifted and putting a man on the moon wasn’t the focus of NASA. Through the years, those who were involved in that initiative eventually retired and many have now passed away. Unfortunately for NASA, there was no plan in place to capture the knowledge and advances that those scientists discovered. I’m not sure if you’re like me but I thought to myself, “Okay, there have to have been enough advances over the years that it’s not that big of a deal”. Apparently it’s a huge deal! Fast forward to today, and there is a major issue brewing. America would like to go back to the moon. The problem, no one knows how to do it anymore. Scientists have to start from scratch to figure out how to make it work. Can you imagine how much time and money would have been saved if someone would have just taken notes originally!
So here’s my point with this whole rant…if you’re not already making plans to train your future leaders, then you should be. There are some great resources out there to help employers connect with young people eager to be your next star. A great way to start is to bring a high school or college student in for a multi-year internship opportunity with your company. You get a chance to test the waters, and the student learns the ins and outs of the job. In 3-5 years, they graduate and you have a ready-made workforce with solid knowledge of your company. If you operate in Indiana there is a great resource called www.indianaintern.net that can help you connect to students and post internship opportunities for free. This really is a win-win for everyone. You get an enthusiastic young person, and the student gets knowledge and skills to be a better employee!
The moral of this story…start planning now! Don’t wait until it’s too late and your scrambling to figure out how to train your new workforce to do the things your seasoned and experienced employees were doing.
Times...They are a Changin'!!!
School is back in full swing and it is so nice to have students back on campus. Although the break from the summer is nice, I do find that I begin to miss the students towards the end of the summer. The energy is just completely different when they are here.
I've been thinking a lot about the subject of this blog post. It is mainly based on my observations and has no real scientific merit what so ever. Having said that though, I'd like to say that I think I'm a pretty good observer. Of course, my observations are just based on about a week of watching new incoming first year students but I can already tell you with a fair amount of certainty...they're different. They aren't quite like the Millennials who have preceded them. They're engaged, involved, and most importantly SERIOUS GO GETTER'S. I'm not joking here. They really seem to be on the ball. Already in a week and a half and I've talked to several first year students who are interested in having an internship. They seem eager to make a difference. I know our on campus Center for Service Opportunities has seen several students who are interested in volunteer work. This class is not like the others I have seen over the past few years. They may be entitled, but this group seems to see the value in working for what they are getting. Maybe the recent resession has affected the way they look at the world and at work. Maybe now they see that to get what they want out of a job, they have to be willing to get the experience and wow employers. They can't just sit back and wait for a job to come to them, they have to go out and get it!
Now I'll be the first to admit that a week and a half isn't a lot of time to observe and get a feeling for how this class will really turn out, but my first impressions have been very positive. I am expecting big things from this group of young people and I am excited to see what they can do. I will likely write more about this group as I get to know them better. These are exciting times and the young people I have met make me love what I do!!!!
I've been thinking a lot about the subject of this blog post. It is mainly based on my observations and has no real scientific merit what so ever. Having said that though, I'd like to say that I think I'm a pretty good observer. Of course, my observations are just based on about a week of watching new incoming first year students but I can already tell you with a fair amount of certainty...they're different. They aren't quite like the Millennials who have preceded them. They're engaged, involved, and most importantly SERIOUS GO GETTER'S. I'm not joking here. They really seem to be on the ball. Already in a week and a half and I've talked to several first year students who are interested in having an internship. They seem eager to make a difference. I know our on campus Center for Service Opportunities has seen several students who are interested in volunteer work. This class is not like the others I have seen over the past few years. They may be entitled, but this group seems to see the value in working for what they are getting. Maybe the recent resession has affected the way they look at the world and at work. Maybe now they see that to get what they want out of a job, they have to be willing to get the experience and wow employers. They can't just sit back and wait for a job to come to them, they have to go out and get it!
Now I'll be the first to admit that a week and a half isn't a lot of time to observe and get a feeling for how this class will really turn out, but my first impressions have been very positive. I am expecting big things from this group of young people and I am excited to see what they can do. I will likely write more about this group as I get to know them better. These are exciting times and the young people I have met make me love what I do!!!!
The Future of the Workforce
So it's been a while since I last wrote anything and if you waited and waited for a new blog from me I am so sorry. Between going to Mexico (I'm definitely going to share my experiences with young people there soon) and work, it's been hard to get time to write. I decided to post this for you just so there was a new blog from me this year :-) Hopefully it's not that bad.
Here's an article I submitted for a magazine. Not sure if it will get published but it was sure fun writing it!
Ask anyone who works with young people about their thoughts on this generation of workers, sometimes referred to as Generation Y or Millennials, and you are bound to hear about all the things that they find frustrating. Millennials come into the workforce expecting too much. They ask for too much money and need too much attention. They are easily distracted, never without their cell phones, and are egocentric. The list of negatives goes on and on but has this generation gotten a bad rap because that’s how they really are or because they are just different from every other generation?
Let’s see how different they really are. Read the list of qualities and see if you can decide who this is describing;
• Looking for meaningful work
• Seeking challenge
• Chance to prove themselves and show they can perform well
• Enjoys contact with people
• Desire to be in a position of responsibility
• Resents being looked at as though they have no experience
• Tends to be more job mobile
• Less respectful of authority
Sounds like Millennials, doesn’t it? They want to know that their work means something. They need to be challenged and want the chance to prove themselves to others. They like working in teams and want to be the CEO of the company the week after they are hired. Of course, we’re already seeing too just how mobile they are in their jobs. Now here’s the kicker, would it surprise you to know that this information was taken from an article in the November 1970 edition of Training and Development Journal? That’s right Baby Boomers, it’s talking about you!
Let’s start with the understanding that Millennials are different, at least on some levels. They think and act different. They have grown up unlike any generation before them. Technology has always been a regular part of their lives. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Google…these are all second nature to Millennials. Their parents taught them they could do or be anything and they believed it. Growing up, everyone got a ribbon just for participating. They were raised to be confident, to ask for what you want and expect to get it. Reality for them has been whatever they saw on TV or the Internet. Millennials don’t know anything else and now as they enter the workforce, they are incorporating how they grew up into how they work.
Of course, Millennials want what everyone else wants in a job. According to four Fortune 500 case studies, when asked, "What influences you to join an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Mission, values, ethics
• Pay and benefit package
• Challenge and interesting work
• Opportunity for career development
When asked, "Why do you stay with an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Challenge (the work itself: interest and variety)
• Being treated with respect by managers and co-workers
• An ethical organization
Clearly, we all want the same things to be satisfied in a job. The difference for Millennials? They ask for it. They want higher entry level pay and more vacation. They want a flexible work environment that allows them the freedom to work from their office or a coffee shop (who doesn’t want that). Our biggest difference is that we feel like we have earned those things. We’ve paid our dues and worked up to our fringe benefits. Millennials haven’t but push to get what we get. This can be frustrating and discouraging to other workers who may feel that Millennials don’t deserve what they ask for. They should have to earn it, right?
There is nothing new happening here. Every generation enters the workforce and causes a ripple. Many of you would probably say that Millinnials have made more of a hurricane rather than a ripple, but I remember when Generation X was going to destroy the workforce with their laid back and lazy attitudes. Guess what, we assimilated. Each generation will always have different ideals and sets of values that shape them as people and as workers. That’s not a bad thing. It just means that we all need to adjust some to what is happening, and yes I mean Millennials too. We sometimes have to compromise and sometimes in the end, the workplace changes for the better.
As Baby Boomers ready themselves for retirement…eventually, Millennials will need to step into the open positions that are created. To do so, they must be prepared for the work environment. This can be accomplished in many ways but generally this happens best when Millennials are provided opportunities to gain experience while they are still in school. Internships can allow young people to learn solid work habits and understand the reality of what the “real” working world will be like. This can be critical to their success and may eliminate some of the issues that employers see from younger employees. Now it is important that you and your employees set good examples for these young people so be sure to provide good mentors for the students to learn from. Internships can be great but if students are provided experiences that teach them bad work habits then they may struggle to be successful and that can be counter-productive. Once you have Millennials trained, remember to use their strengths. Technologically savvy, multi-taskers, team players, task-oriented and enthusiastic and spirited, are all phrases you could use to describe many Millennials. If you can harness their energy and keep them engaged in your company, you will have young person who can shaped and molded into the kind of employee that makes you and your company successful.
Ultimately it comes down to one basic rule; treat others the way they want to be treated (notice I said they not you). Get to know all your employees, not just the Millennials, and know how they want to be managed and incorporated into the workplace. Don’t assume everyone fits into the stereotypes you read about. Every individual is different. Whether you are thrilled about it or not young people are the future of your company and by helping them be great employees you are helping your company be great.
Here's an article I submitted for a magazine. Not sure if it will get published but it was sure fun writing it!
Ask anyone who works with young people about their thoughts on this generation of workers, sometimes referred to as Generation Y or Millennials, and you are bound to hear about all the things that they find frustrating. Millennials come into the workforce expecting too much. They ask for too much money and need too much attention. They are easily distracted, never without their cell phones, and are egocentric. The list of negatives goes on and on but has this generation gotten a bad rap because that’s how they really are or because they are just different from every other generation?
Let’s see how different they really are. Read the list of qualities and see if you can decide who this is describing;
• Looking for meaningful work
• Seeking challenge
• Chance to prove themselves and show they can perform well
• Enjoys contact with people
• Desire to be in a position of responsibility
• Resents being looked at as though they have no experience
• Tends to be more job mobile
• Less respectful of authority
Sounds like Millennials, doesn’t it? They want to know that their work means something. They need to be challenged and want the chance to prove themselves to others. They like working in teams and want to be the CEO of the company the week after they are hired. Of course, we’re already seeing too just how mobile they are in their jobs. Now here’s the kicker, would it surprise you to know that this information was taken from an article in the November 1970 edition of Training and Development Journal? That’s right Baby Boomers, it’s talking about you!
Let’s start with the understanding that Millennials are different, at least on some levels. They think and act different. They have grown up unlike any generation before them. Technology has always been a regular part of their lives. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Google…these are all second nature to Millennials. Their parents taught them they could do or be anything and they believed it. Growing up, everyone got a ribbon just for participating. They were raised to be confident, to ask for what you want and expect to get it. Reality for them has been whatever they saw on TV or the Internet. Millennials don’t know anything else and now as they enter the workforce, they are incorporating how they grew up into how they work.
Of course, Millennials want what everyone else wants in a job. According to four Fortune 500 case studies, when asked, "What influences you to join an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Mission, values, ethics
• Pay and benefit package
• Challenge and interesting work
• Opportunity for career development
When asked, "Why do you stay with an organization?" the most important elements across all age groups were:
• Challenge (the work itself: interest and variety)
• Being treated with respect by managers and co-workers
• An ethical organization
Clearly, we all want the same things to be satisfied in a job. The difference for Millennials? They ask for it. They want higher entry level pay and more vacation. They want a flexible work environment that allows them the freedom to work from their office or a coffee shop (who doesn’t want that). Our biggest difference is that we feel like we have earned those things. We’ve paid our dues and worked up to our fringe benefits. Millennials haven’t but push to get what we get. This can be frustrating and discouraging to other workers who may feel that Millennials don’t deserve what they ask for. They should have to earn it, right?
There is nothing new happening here. Every generation enters the workforce and causes a ripple. Many of you would probably say that Millinnials have made more of a hurricane rather than a ripple, but I remember when Generation X was going to destroy the workforce with their laid back and lazy attitudes. Guess what, we assimilated. Each generation will always have different ideals and sets of values that shape them as people and as workers. That’s not a bad thing. It just means that we all need to adjust some to what is happening, and yes I mean Millennials too. We sometimes have to compromise and sometimes in the end, the workplace changes for the better.
As Baby Boomers ready themselves for retirement…eventually, Millennials will need to step into the open positions that are created. To do so, they must be prepared for the work environment. This can be accomplished in many ways but generally this happens best when Millennials are provided opportunities to gain experience while they are still in school. Internships can allow young people to learn solid work habits and understand the reality of what the “real” working world will be like. This can be critical to their success and may eliminate some of the issues that employers see from younger employees. Now it is important that you and your employees set good examples for these young people so be sure to provide good mentors for the students to learn from. Internships can be great but if students are provided experiences that teach them bad work habits then they may struggle to be successful and that can be counter-productive. Once you have Millennials trained, remember to use their strengths. Technologically savvy, multi-taskers, team players, task-oriented and enthusiastic and spirited, are all phrases you could use to describe many Millennials. If you can harness their energy and keep them engaged in your company, you will have young person who can shaped and molded into the kind of employee that makes you and your company successful.
Ultimately it comes down to one basic rule; treat others the way they want to be treated (notice I said they not you). Get to know all your employees, not just the Millennials, and know how they want to be managed and incorporated into the workplace. Don’t assume everyone fits into the stereotypes you read about. Every individual is different. Whether you are thrilled about it or not young people are the future of your company and by helping them be great employees you are helping your company be great.
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