Other Ways to Win: Connecting Education to the REAL WORLD Burke Co. Schools - WPCC College Tech Prep Consortium Institute for Educators June 27-29, 2011 Kathy Carroll, Facilitator SOLUTIONS 21 CONSULTANTS The 2010 Meltdown: Solving the Impending Jobs Crisis by Edward E. Gordon & the Role of Education Do we need to melt, too? Jobs Crisis? Im an educator. Should I really care about a jobs crisis? What is the impending crisis? As we approach 2020, 2 dynamics at work: Wholesale unemployment Businesses inability to find the qualified workers they need to compete effectively in the global economy Why will it happen? Because Americans are not being educated and trained in sufficient numbers to perform the work that technological change is generating... particularly in the areas of math and science. 3 Divisions of the Workforce: 25% - smart people who are educated and possess special career skills 25% - walking dead, victims of mergers or technological change that need to acquire new skills in order to change jobs and/or careers 50% - techno-peasants, poorly educated adults with few, if any, special career skills Predicted Labor Shortages Examples Nursing (1 M) Math/Science/Spec Ed Teachers (1M) Computer Engineers & Support (1M) Clinical Pathologists (50,000) Auto Mechanics (50,000) The Aging Workforce Between 2010 and 2020, 70 M Americans will retire; only 40 M will enter workforce. By 2020 the key age group of employees (25 to 44) will shrink by 3%. By 2020, employee group (55 to 64) will grow 73%; (65 over), 54%. Aging is a global issue; by 2050, China will have more people over 65 than the rest of the world combined. Workers, Workers Everywhere - But not a one can think... 60% of all jobs being created require skills that only 20% of US workers now possess. Outsourcing will also melt as the demand exceeds the supply in countries like India and China. Importance of Soft Skills & E.Q. Valuable soft skills: i.e., habits of mind, habits of character, team dynamics, problem-solving Emotional Quotient determines leadership ability and value to a company: Self-awareness Self-management Social Skills Social Awareness (Communication Skills are important component of ALL 4.) Is E-Learning the Answer? Innovation in the workplace is not just about technology. If we lose sight of this, we will lose the ongoing skill wars in our workplace. Remember what Pablo Picasso said, Computers are stupid; they only give you answers. (p. 155) Blended Learning Combines the best features of e-learning with other classroom methods... The learning facilitator-teacher is still critical to learning / training... Technology is a TOOL. What must Education do? Train teachers in PBL, applied, and blended learning methodologies with technology as a tool. Emphasize soft skills in learning settings. Stress math and science, K-12. Relevance, Rigor, Relationships Connect to business and industry. Make students and parents aware. Transform high schools into problem-based, project-based, blended settings. School Transformation - We must reinvent an outmoded educational system that traditionally has sorted students into two groups: "the best and the brightest," who are going to college, and the others, who won't. What can you do for the students entrusted to you? Welcome to Other Ways To Win! Know Your Peers Share the following with all of us: Name School Site Subject / Position and Years Experience Any Industry Experience prior to Teaching? Why did you choose to attend this workshop? (other than $$$$$$) OTHER WAYS TO WIN We (society, parents, schools, etc.) push 4-year college education as the ONE way to economic security - apply an inordinate amount of rewards, status and resources to THAT WAY - and, in so doing, inadvertently neglect the students who are in the academic middle... in the face of empirical evidence that proves us wrong. Right? OTHER WAYS TO WIN What factors influence student career choice? What factors SHOULD influence student career choice?