President's Perspective
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America’s Challenge for the 21st Century: Part 2
Workforce and Skillsets

Creativity…..communication….skills….leadership…vision...people. It is people who garner the knowledge, and knowledge is power. Without people, companies are unable to remain viable on the global playground, regardless of their financial stature. “There is no issue more competitive than our workforce,” recently commented Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor. “The fundamentals of the economy remain strong and our nation is transitioning to a knowledge base.” New jobs that are higher paying emerge consistently; therefore, education and training are very important. “A skilled workforce is key in attracting economic development,” she added. According to Governor Barber of Mississippi, the state is focused on continuously improving the skill sets of its workforce. “We realize that even though we have a surge in employment within companies, we continue to embrace the improvement of education. 60% of jobs now require higher education,” he offered. Schools of all levels throughout this country are redefining their purposes, transforming their programs and discovering new teaching methods that are more indicative of the society in which we live. Reinvigorating the technical education system is one part of preserving American economic competitiveness in this new information driven economy. The other is to improve the critical skills that need when they enter the workforce.

“Georgia Tech needed to focus both internally and externally” commented the school’s president, Wayne Clough. “We needed our curriculum to be more integrated, i.e. studying abroad, combining studies with global work opportunities thus creating a more pervasive experience.” Clough believes that undergraduates need a broader experience. Students have educational opportunities throughout the campus, yet there should be more attention on integrating leadership with research activities. A solid educational foundation is not just about the curriculum any more…it’s the experience.

Gary Jacobs of High Tech High leads a relatively new educational experience through the creation of a business community concept. It was apparent that students didn’t have the right skills, and juniors are required to complete an internship. Ninth graders therefore participated in a project entitled, “Who Wants To Be A Billionaire.” The program required the development of a business plan and a presentation to venture capitalists. The higher level students acted as role models for lower level students, and teachers worked in teams and planned curriculum collectively. The teachers met for professional development every day for an hour before classes…Jacobs reported that they just had first class graduate from college, each of the students possessing a diverse knowledge base and the technologically advanced skill sets that global companies are currently seeking.

“Skill sets in retailing particularly have changed in recent years,” added John Menzer, vice-chairman and CAO of Wal-Mart. “The accelerated change in check-out registers, growth in on-line shopping and then having the order delivered to the closest physical store requires that skill sets of many jobs need a diverse knowledge base.” The relationship with suppliers has become more sophisticated through merchandising tools. Training on the internet and the intranet (in store) is important. Wal-mart has become focused on environmental sustainability and sharing global best practices. Retailing is also challenged with a high turnover; therefore, the company works on retention, training in job performance, management, and diversity, as it sees these elements critical to a workforce development program. Menzer shared that Wal-mart believes that flexibility and mobility in their workforce are a part of their culture about empowerment and ownership. Employees address taking care of the customer, embrace the can do spirit, and think out of the box daily. He sees unlimited opportunities for those within the company…from stocking shelves to store managers…current company leaders’ role is to find future leaders as early in their career as possible…keeping pipeline full of talent.