Cisco User Group – ITT
September 6, 2011I participated in the TECHPoint Session ‘New Economy New Rules:’ Distance Learning: Retraining and Retooling American’s Workforce
Freedom Staffing is working to understand the best strategies to help facilitate, promote and navigate individuals and companies towards great training and professional development. It is critical in this global market that we adapt our workforce to meet the needs of the market. Hands on project based opportunities are key in preparing the workforce for the needs of the future. New graduates need hands on project based opportunities to build their experience and knowledge of how things really get done. Existing employees require customized workforce training solutions that keep talented/knowledgeable people employed and retool them to meet the new demands of the business. This requires a partnership between the education institutions and businesses.
Ivy Tech outlined their mission of preparing individuals to live and work in diverse and globally competitive world. Their on-line solutions provide high-quality low cost education and training to serve the students of Indiana as well as globally. They outlined a focus on core certifications that businesses require including: Industry Certs; Six Sigma, OHSA, Allied Health and others. WGU also outlined it’s approach with mentors that truly aid the student through each step of the curriculum and process. As I mentioned before we are always looking to build bridges between our business community and the educational institutions here locally.
My personal experience is one where I worked on engineering the Wide Area Network and Routing strategies for the Internet backbone here in Indiana in the early 90’s as a student at Indiana University. The architecture incorporated the major points of presence (POPs) that Indiana Bell and AT&T had at the time along with the major Universities like IU and Purdue. As a student I had the opportunity to work with IU’s IT department as well as fiber engineers at Indiana Bell. I witnessed first hand how Indiana companies work together along with the Universities. It gave me my first taste of how Indiana people are all about getting things done, not taking the credit. I was impressed and did not go back to my home town Chicago, but decided to make Indiana my home as I started my career at Indiana Bell in Engineering.