“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” – Henry David Thoreau
At the Ohio State University, students are lining up to talk to a robot. IBM is partnering with OSU and six other U.S. universities to bring its cognitive robot, Watson, into classrooms to give the next generation the exposure they need to succeed in cognitive computing. These conversations, which address everything from tourism, to retail, healthcare, national security, and science, are helping young people develop inspiration and new insight into how they can help leverage their 21st century skills to transform these sectors. The dramatic expansion of data-driven insight and decision-making makes top tech talent a prized asset. From business analytics professionals to Chief Data Officers, demand for such talent has expanded dramatically. IBM and other leading corporations must invest in today’s youth to help foster the successful workforce of tomorrow if they are serious about filling their ranks with the best and brightest.
Why This Matters
Business has tremendous power to drive the conversation on what is needed to prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce, and the incentive and capital to make big bets on what works. IBM’s commitment to make its most innovative asset available to students and prospective new leaders in tech should serve as an example to other companies eager to help bridge the talent gap. While job training, mentoring and apprenticeships were once criticized for being poorly aligned with employers’ needs, with the right corporate engagement, these programs become important launch pads for success. While access to better skills training and career guidance can help prepare students for 21st century jobs, companies eager to higher rising tech stars can help accelerate the achievement of young people by investing their talent and capital in creating better education to career pathways.
Ticket for Change
Our Approach
Companies in need of skilled employees have a diverse range of resources they can deploy to better support the development of top talent. Work-based learning opportunities, such as internships, train-to-hire programs, and summer jobs are just one important way companies can support youth setting out in their career.1 Such opportunities often lead to permanent employment and even short-term positions that can help students develop networks, employability skills and knowledge about the workplace. Providing guest lectures, empowering employees to serve as community mentors, and sponsoring innovation challenges offer a dynamic range of ways companies of all sizes can engage to solve the problem. Community-based organizations should help channel these resources for impact.
Schools and other organizations should partner with employers to design curricula and instruction plans that reflect best practices and technology. Labor market data and job projections can also influence training programs(2). Co-created professional development programs can help job seekers gain relevant skills for jobs that are in high demand in growing industries.
Job matching services, such as Open Meadow’s Career Connection program, the Marriott Foundation’s Bridges program, LEAP, and First Jobs Academy utilize a range of methods to help students identify their core skills and interests and help young people pursue appropriate opportunities. The Bridgespan Group recently deemed career pathways to be a “billion dollar bet” and an impactful way for donors to increase academic and skill achievement. By forging partnerships among a wide range of educational and employment advocacy organizations, career pathways can help transform how young people transition from school to work.
Educators should also engage businesses in direct mentoring and performance feedback. LEAP, for instance, uses a Worksite Progress Report to collect supervisor feedback and other organizations provide training for staff on how to be effective workplace mentors to young people (e.g. FJA’s Enhanced Management Training Program, a 16-hour curriculum taught by experienced youth service professionals)(3).
RESOURCES
1. Jobs for The Future. “Expanding the Path to Apprenticeships to Women and Minority Workers.”
2. Third Way. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Workforce Programs.”