A Virtual Biotech Firm? What does this mean for employees of the future?
Posted on July 17, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, CTE, school-to-career, school-to-work, virtual business |
We’ve all heard of Second Life where business can be completely virtual. Here’s a biotech company that produces a tangible product, but the company is mostly virtual, or at least that’s the term used in the article I read; “CoLucid tries to prove that a virtual biotech can produce real returns” in the Triangle Business Journal. Unfortunately you need a subscription to see the complete article, but you don’t need to buy a subscription, you’re getting my comments on the article here for free!
A few quotes from the article:
“Can you build a drug company without bricks and mortar? For a local startup biotech firm, that’s not a hypothetical question.”
“CoLucid has no headquarters and only four full-time workers.”
“But it’s rare to contract out the work of key decision-makers such as the chief medical and financial officers.”
“But being virtual makes CoLucid more nimble, White says, because it can easily change personnel when business changes.”
Chris’ Thoughts:
Outsourcing manufacturing and services such as payroll, engineering, web design, database management, and customer service to another company has been commonplace in the last few decades.
But here is a company that is even outsourcing most of their top management including their chief medical and chief financial officers to contracted employees.
WARNING: I am going off on a tangent to explore the term virtual as it’s used in this context. It’s a term that has certainly evolved over time and keeps morphing in new directions in the last few years. (Please don’t get me started on the current use of the word digital!)
If the companies in Second Life are virtual, than these cannot be, or has the term virtual expanded to cover this use as well.
Based on my myriad experiences in the work world, what we have here is a company with very few regular employees, and a lot of “contracted” employees. The difference here is that they are contracting high-level employees that would normally be regular employees of the business.
The “virtual” in this case is that you don’t have a big building where everyone comes to work with a sign out front and everything. The Internet has opened the possibilities for new business models like this one where a corporate building is not necessary.
And they found that they could outsource the top management positions as well, which seems odd to me since now you have contracted employees, who could have little allegiance to the company except that they want to keep getting a paycheck, making some top-level key decisions for the company.
One thing that I have learned over the years is that contracted employees can be let go a lot faster and easier than regular employees. An early ending to 1,000 contracts is a much different story in the press than laying off 1,000 employees.
It will be interesting to watch and see if a trend emerges.
Is this company really virtual? What’s not these days?
I’m off to the North Carolina CTE Conference next week. I hope to blog here what I learn. If you come to the conference, look for my career data session on Thursday morning.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
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Chris Droessler |
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Associated Press (AP) Poll on Education
Posted on June 30, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: AP, Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, CTE, education, frozen peas, NCLB, poll, school-to-career, school-to-work |
The Associated Press (AP) just released the results of a poll about education in the United States.
The first thing that really caught my eye was question Q8, which asked “If you had to choose, which one subject do you think students should spend more time studying in school?” The respondents were given 11 choices plus an “other” category. Conspicuously missing from the list was any mention of CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses. In fact, I would have been happy with a mention of the archaic “vocational ed” term.
It’s really no big surprise that the respondents selected Mathematics (38%) and English (21%) as the top choices. “Other” was a distant third place with only 10% of the vote.
Yet, back in question Q7, 77% of the respondents said that the problem of schools “placing emphasis on the wrong subject” was somewhat or very serious.
The responders ask for more math and English not realizing that NCLB (No Child Left Behind) forces the schools to emphasize math and English in order to increase scores on standardized tests in those areas. But do these standardized tests really prepare the kids for the real world?
What we really need is more applied math and English. When a student does poorly in math class, the prevailing opinion in education is to get the student a tutor and sign him up for an additional math class. This is like if the kid doesn’t like to eat peas, then make him eat more peas!
What we need to do with the kid who is struggling in math or English is to get him into a CTE or art (visual, music, theater, dance) class where English and math are learned because they are applied to class activities, and applied in such a manner as to have real-world applications that the students will remember for years to come.
Hide the peas in a casserole, or sprinkle frozen peas on top of ice cream. That’s applied peas versus “peas for the sake of peas.”
Q14A got me going too. “If all Americans graduated from a two or four year college, what effect do you think that would have on the overall economy?” 84% of the respondent said that it would “help the economy.”
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (table I-1), only 26.1% of all job openings projected from 2006 to 2016 require a two or four year college degree.
74% of the jobs projected through 2016 do NOT require a two or more year degree, yet the public perception is that the economy would be helped if 100% of Americans got the education required for only 26.1% of the jobs. The only sector of the economy that this would help is the college sector of the economy.
Don’t take my word for it, read the results yourself and see what you think.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
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Chris Droessler |
Ins and outs of higher ed
Posted on June 18, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: career advice, Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, college degree, college dropout, college major, CTE, postsecondary education, school-to-career, school-to-work |
A lot has been said recently about the high school graduation and dropout rates, but until now it seems like I’m the only one talking about the college graduation rate. USA Today is looking at the college graduation rate in this recent article. Maybe they sat in on one of my presentations and got an idea!
A few quotes from the article:
“At the typical college, only 40% of students earn their degrees in four years. The six-year graduation rate of 57% is better, but hardly impressive. Among African-American students, less than half graduate within six years. Overall, nearly a third of people older than 25 who have entered college end up with no degree (but often piles of debt) to show for it.”
“When considering colleges, students and parents should look beyond rankings, grade point averages and SAT scores. What are a school’s dropout and graduation rates? How satisfied are the students with their classroom experiences? Do they get jobs after they graduate?”
Chris’ Thoughts:
Is anyone holding the colleges accountable for the promises they make to the potential freshmen? Do they really make any promises, or is it “society” who makes the promises, and we assume that the colleges will deliver?
I’ve been saying for years that half of the kids we send to college don’t graduate (get their four-year degree in six years). I’m sure there are some really good reasons for this seemingly low percentage, but the reality is that high schools are sending kids to college because it’s “the next thing to do,” and apparently half of the kids are being sent to the wrong place.
We need to be sending kids to college because it’s the right step in the student’s individual education/career plan. For those not familiar with my plan, I think that every eighth grader should create an ever-changing 10-year education/career plan that will take that student through postsecondary education to a successful entry into a career. I refer to it as the “Where do you want to be at age 25?” plan.
Kids need to go to college because it fits their education/career plan, not because “everyone else is doing it,” and so mom and dad can brag about it at the country club!
Stephen Covey reminds us to “begin with the end in mind.” To me that means you pick a career, talk to people in that career field, and then let your future colleagues help you decide what kind of postsecondary education you need to achieve your goals.
Don’t let your goal be just a college degree. Your goal should be a successful entry into the occupation of your choice, a family, house, car, and anything else you need for your “perfect life.” Work backwards from the end (think Covey!) and find out what kind of education you need to get there! It might be very different if you choose your education first, and then looked for a job later on like most people do.
Find the college graduation rates at US colleges and universities.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
| Chris Droessler President of ACTE School-to-Work/Careers Section School-to-Career Coordinator Wake County Public School System North Carolina, USA www.wcpss.net/school_to_career |
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Connecting the world of work to our schools: Students need more help in charting their futures
Posted on June 10, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: career advice, Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, college major, CTE, employers, postsecondary education, school-to-career, school-to-work |
The writer of this editorial in The Tribune-Democrat must have heard one of my presentations, because he’s right on target with my way of thinking.
A few quotes from the article:
“(The high school graduate’s) dream, in most instances, has been shaped by the advice of a parent or a school counselor that college is not an option – it’s imperative if one is to be a success in life.”
“A majority of the class of 2008, nearly 65 percent, will join their classmates this fall at a college or university because many simply don’t know what else to do with their lives.”
“Sadly, many still will not know what they want to do when they complete their studies. More often than not, this dilemma will be somewhat resolved by enrolling in graduate school. Their rationale is that an advanced degree will make them more competitive in the marketplace.”
“Ultimately, teens have to ask themselves where they want to go in terms of a career, and then ask themselves if college is the best vehicle to take them there, as opposed to a technical school and apprenticeship program, or even the military.”
“By eighth grade, all students should have taken part in curricular or extracurricular activities that help them pinpoint several tentative career interests that they can pursue after high school. Having organized a successful career day, I can attest to the value of inviting professionals to speak to our ninth and 10th graders who came away with a better understanding of the “world of work.””
Chris’ Thoughts:
This is what I’ve been saying for years. The general public needs to wake up and realize that a four-year college degree is more about parental bragging rights than it is about preparing students for a career.
We need to be preparing the future workforce for the jobs that will actually exist rather then the old-fashioned way of “What looks like a fun college major?”
I started my college education in Electrical Engineering because I was good at math and liked building electronic kits from Radio Shack. I had never met an electrical engineer, and really had no idea what they did on a daily basis, but there I was, along with lots of other geeky freshman, spending lots of money to get a degree in electrical engineering. Finally I wised up, followed my passion and got into education, where the real money is!
We are in a position to help prepare our future workforce. Kids need to explore all of the careers, not just the ones around them. Kids need to take career interest and skills inventories so they can start investigating careers that they may not have even considered, but might be well suited for.
And most importantly, the kids need to get out into the workforce through job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, etc, and talk to adults about careers. Kids need to know about the world of work before they can plan their postsecondary education.
We need more people like this author, David A. Knepper, getting our message out to the public.
The decision to go to college should be because it supports your career goal, not because it’s the next thing to do after high school.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
| Chris Droessler President of ACTE School-to-Work/Careers Section School-to-Career Coordinator Wake County Public School System North Carolina, USA www.wcpss.net/school_to_career |
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The “Millennials” Are Coming: Morley Safer (60 Minutes) On The New Generation Of American Workers
Posted on June 2, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, CTE, employers, Millennial Generation, Mister Rogers, Mr. Rogers, school-to-career, school-to-work, special |
I think this article paints a broad brush to condemn a whole generation based on a gross misunderstanding of those older folks, of which I am a part. It’s a CBS/60 Minutes article about the Millennial Generation.
I have some strong opinions about what I read. This article received 617 reader comments during the 72 hours after it was published. Here is comment number 618.
A few quotes from the article:
“It’s graduation time and once again we say “Stand back all bosses!” A new breed of American worker is about to attack everything you hold sacred: from giving orders, to your starched white shirt and tie.”
“how to deal with this generation that only takes “yes” for an answer?”
“The workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the millennials have the upper hand, because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text. And their priorities are simple: they come first.”
“It’s their way or the highway. The rest of us are old, redundant, should be retired.”
“Today, fewer and fewer middle class kids hold summer jobs because mowing lawns does not get you into Harvard.”
“they’ve never punched a time clock. They have no idea what it’s like to actually be in an office at nine o’clock, with people handing them work,”
“You now have a generation coming into the workplace that has grown up with the expectation that they will automatically win, and they’ll always be rewarded, even for just showing up,”
“”Where does this fantasy about ‘I’m going to find the dream job’ — there’s no such thing as a dream job. I mean, a few of us like me happen to have it. But where does this fantasy come from?” Safer asks Dorsey. ”
“Family and friends are the new priorities, while blind careerism is beginning to fade.”
Chris’ Thoughts:
Who stuck a gun to the head of these employers and forced them to hire these lazy employees. Are these the same employers who strongly encourage hard-working older employees to retire early so they can hire these lazy kids? If the reporter got this right, then it’s the employers who should be criticized, not the kids. The millennials are acting the way they are because the employers allow it.
If our current employers don’t hire these kids, they are going to get together on FaceBook or Second Life and create their own company that makes sense to their generation. Maybe it’s time for the big dinosaur-like companies to close up shop. This next generation does not seem to need them.
What’s wrong with a focus on family and friends rather than on career? Don’t happy people make happy employees?
Pointing the finger at Mister Rogers for telling a generation that they are “special” is not what has lead to the trouble in the workplace. I grew up with Mister Rogers, and I’m not the lazy bum that the author describes. Everyone is special, and we all need to help this next generation realize the special gift that they have, that when used appropriately, can make the world a better place in which to live.
School-to-Career educators, it’s our job to help find that special quality in each kid that can be turned into a fruitful and rewarding career.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
| Chris Droessler President of ACTE School-to-Work/Careers Section School-to-Career Coordinator Wake County Public School System North Carolina, USA www.wcpss.net/school_to_career |
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“Career education lures top students”
Posted on May 30, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: career change, Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, CTE, Perkins funding, school-to-career, school-to-work, vocational education |
I was very pleased to read a very positive article about CTE in the News and Observer that hopefully will change the public’s perception about CTE.
A few quotes from the article:
“Over the past decade or so, though, courses under the CTE umbrella have been revamped, tailored to the modern workplace that demands workers with a higher degree of technical savvy.”
“Such courses include bioscience, finance, television production, computer programming and, in Matthai’s case, clothing design. CTE supporters argue that such courses are vital to today’s economy, in which an auto mechanic needs to master computer diagnostics.”
“‘CTE is another way of learning,” said senior Mary Eggleston. “You get some reassurance that the math you’re learning you’re going to use again.'”
Chris’ Thoughts:
I was very pleased to read this article. It’s not often that the press explains CTE in a way that doesn’t sound like the old vocational education that most of us grew up with.
This article starts with a student who planned on being an orthodontist, but is now planning for a career in fashion. I’ve always said that it’s less expensive to change your major in high school than it is in college. That’s why career education needs to start before high school so we can allow our kids to start planning a career and allow them to change directions whenever they need to before they graduate from high school.
The article looks at the possible cuts in Perkins funding, and compares this to the president’s No Child Left Behind legislation. The writer does a good job explaining the funding issues to the public.
All in all, this is a very positive article about CTE. We need more of these to convince the public that the careers we are preparing the kids for are not the careers they grew up with.
Please, invite the media out to your schools to see what we are doing to prepare the next workforce. Hopefully they will be surprised at what they see and want to tell the public about it.
Well, that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
| Chris Droessler President of ACTE School-to-Work/Careers Section School-to-Career Coordinator Wake County Public School System North Carolina, USA www.wcpss.net/school_to_career |
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Young adults without ‘soft skills’ in the workplace will face hard landing in life
Posted on May 21, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: apprenticeship, Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, communication, CTE, employability skills, Internship, manners, polite, school-to-career, school-to-work, soft skills |
I just read a great editorial in the News and Observer about the importance of young adults learning “soft skills.”
A few quotes from the article:
“Imagine that, Mom was right. Listen more, talk less, be polite, consider others, work hard, team play, show up on time, shine your shoes and don’t slouch. Think before you speak.”
“But many recent graduates cannot communicate or play well with others. They lack critical “soft skills” such as basic office etiquette, communication, leadership and team skills. In a business setting, where customers, sales and the company’s reputation are on the line, employers are increasingly unhappy with the graduates available for hire.”
“Our graduates have technical skills, more computer aptitude than ever before. But without the soft skills to honor others and themselves, they have little chance of successful long-term careers.”
“In a 2006 survey of 400 employers, three quarters of respondents said that high school grads lack interpersonal skills.”
Chris’ Thoughts:
Students need to know that showing up on time to class will be like showing up to work on time. Completing homework assignments will be like completing work assignments.
We teach soft skills in our Career and Technical Education classes. We also teach them in our school athletics programs. How about in the core subjects? What can we do to get a common soft skills program to cross curricular lines?
Hopefully, students in an internship or apprenticeship will quickly learn what soft skills they are lacking. Or at least they might start to connect the reality between coming to class on time prepared to learn and showing up to a job on time ready to work.
The next time you have a career fair, or any other event where the students interact with members of the business community, let the business people know that soft skills is a better discussion topic than the usual “How much do you make?”.
Well, at least that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
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Chris Droessler |
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The new work study: Companies invite degree programs, employees benefit
Posted on May 6, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers | Tags: Career Technical Education, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, college, college degree, college education, college tuition, college value, CTE, employee benefit, pay for college, postsecondary education, school-to-career, school-to-work, tuition |
When I grew up, high school graduates went directly to college and figured out a way to pay for it. Most of us took out student loans or held part-time jobs to pay for our four (or sometimes many more) years of college.
More and more companies these days are paying their employees’ college expenses. The company benefits from having trained employees that can be given additional responsibilities.
The newest trend in corporate college reimbursements is to offer the college courses right at the employer’s location, which completely eliminates travel time for school.
A few quotes from the article:
“…in 2001, Blue Cross started Blue University, which allows employees to earn associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees without leaving the health insurer’s campus. The benefit gives workers a convenient way to earn degrees and provides the company with a pool of employees it can promote to more senior positions.”
“Degree-granting programs have become increasingly common on corporate campuses as employers invest in higher education to improve productivity and help staffers balance their work and home lives.”
“Many companies have tried to accomplish the same goals through tuition reimbursements alone but providing on-site degree programs encourage more employees to participate, said Jeanne C. Meister, an author, management consultant and editor of the “New Learning Playbook” blog.”
“About 20 percent of the 3,000-plus companies with formal training programs — known as corporate universities — work with brick-and-mortar universities to offer on-site degree programs, she said.”
Chris’ Thoughts:
What a great way to tell your employees that you care about them and want to help them improve themselves through further education.
The business world is changing so fast, that all of us will be going back to school for the rest of our lives just to keep up with all the new knowledge. I predict that eventually most businesses will be offering this kind of benefit for their employees.
You got that kiddies? You’ll be in school for the rest of your lives, so get used to it!
Well, at least that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
| Chris Droessler President of ACTE School-to-Work/Careers Section School-to-Career Coordinator Wake County Public School System North Carolina, USA www.wcpss.net/school_to_career |
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Ready for the 21st Century?
Posted on April 22, 2008. Filed under: CTE, New and Related Services Division | Tags: 21st century, 21st century skills, Career Technical Education, cell phone, Chris Droessler, Christopher L. Droessler, CTE, ipod, school-to-career, school-to-work |
I just read a great article from the president of Wake NCAE, which is an affiliate of the NCAE and the NEA
A few quotes from the article:
“I am not ready for the Twenty-First Century, and I don’t think many of us are.”
“We take I-Phones, cell phones that video stream, and computers that do amazing things away from our students when they come through the door and say “here is a pencil and a book… go learn!” Are we crazy?”
“We all need to get up and start moving toward something that goes beyond our wildest imagination. The voters, the County Commissioners, the teachers, the parents, the school board, the business community… all of us need to stand up and say… “This is not acceptable. We are not just standing still, we are going backwards.””
Chris’ Thoughts:
We ask our students to leave their generation’s tools behind when they come into the classroom, and we think that we are truly preparing them for their future?
What is the purpose of education? If it is just to get in 12 years of curriculum while maintaining high end-of-course scores, then we’ve done our job. But if the real purpose for education is to get these youngsters ready for a career and life in the future, then we really need to rethink the way we are doing things.
I remember back when I was a student and was not allowed to bring a calculator to class. We were told that we needed to learn how to use a slide rule (look that one up in wikipedia). I think the slide rule is a great way to see how numbers relate to each other, especially how multiplication and division relate, but routine math is not what we are teaching in high school today. We need to teach the concepts and let the kids use their tools to solve the problem. After all, they will be using these tools, and others that have yet to be invented, to solve the problems that our generation has left behind.
We have to incorporate the technology of the day into the classroom so that we will be truly preparing these kids for the world of today, and hopefully tomorrow.
So are you helping to get the kids ready for life in the 21st Century? If not, I hope you get ready before we start talking about the skills needed for the 22nd Century!
Well, at least that’s the way that I see it. Let me know what you are thinking, and stop by again soon for more of my ramblings.
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Chris Droessler |
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