Articles

June 20, 2008

METS, Manners and More Learning
Key to Future Career Success

Missouri Workforce 2025 report reveals gaps, opportunities

With diplomas in hand, thousands of Missouri high school and college graduates are polishing their résumés with hopes for a bright future.  They are now entering the workforce of the 21st century, one that is rapidly evolving.

So what should students and present workforce members do now to make their résumés relevant in the future?

Just asking that question is a good start, says Rod Nunn, who was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt in October as Missouri’s first Director of Education and Workforce Innovation.  “The only way to get prepared is to look ahead,” he says. “Though we cannot predict line-for-line what a résumé of the future will look like, we can look at current trends to see what skills and educational attainments are becoming more important for 21st century careers.”

Anticipating future workforce needs was one of the goals of the Workforce 2025 report.  This report was published in December by the Missouri P-20 Council, a group created by state law to coordinate learning from preschool education (P) to graduate school and the workforce (20). The report provides a wealth of data on how Missouri’s workforce and economic landscape will, and will not, be different in 2025.

The fastest growing and highest paying occupations in Missouri will generally require advanced education and training, according to Nunn.  For example, careers that typically call for an associate degree are projected to increase by 21.8 percent; doctoral degree, 21.6 percent; and first professional degree, 17.2 percent.

The Workforce 2025 report points to three ways Missourians can get ready now for the demands of the future − continuously update knowledge and skills, hone one’s “soft skills,” and explore opportunities in math, engineering, technology and science careers.

Explore METS

One of the most serious shortcomings the P-20 group found was the state’s underproduction of graduates with a strong foundation in math, engineering, technology and science (METS).  According to the report, the group of METS-related occupations is “projected to grow at a rate of 20 percent from 2004 to 2015 with over 22,000 openings,” but the proportion of college students seeking METS degrees is on the decline. The inference for those who are still exploring degree options is that résumés strong in METS will be in high demand.

In fact, they already are, says Reba Phillips, director of human resources for McCarthy Building Cos. Inc., a St. Louis general contracting firm heavily populated by engineers.

“We are looking to hire about 300 new positions this year,” she says, adding the firm did the same in 2007. “That’s not attrition; that’s new slots that we need to do the work.”

And McCarthy is not unusual in its personnel needs, she says. Many construction firms are looking to add hundreds to their payrolls, which means qualified applicants — who must be strong in METS — are in a great position to find work.

The situation is similar in life sciences, says Dr. Keith Gary, director of program development at the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute. Though area life science companies are not having much trouble right now finding workers, several are planning to enlarge their workforce over the next few years, he says.

“I’m really concerned with how we’re going to meet that upcoming demand, especially when you look at national statistics, as well as regional statistics, that show fewer students are choosing METS careers.”

On a related note, the report found that all Missourians need to keep up with emerging technology, as some form of “digital literacy” will be required in all careers, from farming to health care.

“Being able to operate in a digital world is a necessity these days,” says John Lowry, general manager of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. in Kansas City, an advanced manufacturing plant recently featured on National Geographic’s “Ultimate Factories” series. “Here at Harley-Davidson, we rely on digital technology for everything from managing the supply chain to scheduling production to shipping our products to dealers.”

Hone Soft Skills

Though technology is changing the way Missourians work, employers also continue to place a high value on such “soft skills” as teamwork, integrity, professionalism and initiative.

Michael Dunaway, senior vice president of the Missouri Hospital Association, says the soft skills are often what bring the best candidates to the top of the applicant pool.

“While we screen for ‘hard skills,’ such as math competencies and reading comprehension, we are equally — if not more — interested in an applicant’s soft skills,” he says.

Never Stop Learning

Missouri Workforce 2025 emphasizes that 60 percent of the 2025 workforce is already working. These adults will have to be deliberate about keeping themselves and their résumés up-to-date.

“It is a completely different workplace than it was 30 years ago when I began my career,” says Barbara Curry, a senior vice president at Kansas City Power & Light, and a chair of both the Full Employment Council and the Kansas City & Vicinity Area Workforce Investment Board.  “People who aren’t willing to embrace change are going to have a hard time.”

Lowry agrees and encourages workers to take control of their futures.

“Continuous education is critical if you want to be competitive,” he says. “I think the most important thing to remember is that you are the key to your own success. You are responsible for keeping up with new technologies and industry trends. If you stay current and continue to expand your knowledge, you will be able to write your own success story.”

Writer:  Anita Harrison

The Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America (ASTRA) has released a new series of state level reports on STEM education (science, technology , engineering and math).

In a companion series, ASTRA also issued scorecards on state research and development.

You can download a copy of both reports for your state from this page. While the graphics are a little goofy, the data provides useful state-level snapshots.

In North Central Indiana, we're particularly excited about one of our upcoming WIRED-supported programs. We're teaching high school students advanced manufacturing skills within the context of designing and making their own electric guitar. How cool is that? Here are some more details about the project:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — High school students interested in discovering how to build their own guitar will have the opportunity to learn the science and art behind the craft at two summer workshops offered at Purdue University.

Mark French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology and organizer of the workshops, said that both workshops will be modeled after the Purdue Guitar Workshop, which will be held for the second year in July.

“We want to reach out to high school students to get them interested in technology and specifically about modern advanced manufacturing processes,” he said. “There was a lot of interest last year from high school students, so we decided to create opportunities for them that contain more of an educational bent but still will be a lot of fun.”

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers High School Workshop will be offered July 29-Aug. 1. It is open to all high school students in 10th and 11th grades. The class will meet daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Knoy Hall of Technology, Room 106, and Michael Golden Labs, rooms 1208 and B217. The cost to attend is $100.

The WIRED High School Workshop will be held Aug. 12-15. It is open to 10th- and 11th-graders from Region 4 in Indiana. Students will stay in on-campus residence halls for the week. The cost to attend is $35.

The workshop is being funded in part by a $35,000 grant from the national WIRED initiative, which was part of a larger grant the university received last year.

Indiana WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) is part of a federal development initiative designed to help state and local communities compete in the global economy. Region 4 includes the counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Wabash, Warren and White.

In both workshops, the students will make an acoustic-electric guitar. Attendees will receive a complete kit of materials, including a guitar body and neck with most of the machining already completed. Participants will then be able to tailor the final shape of the body and neck, as well as add other custom touches, such as paint.

The courses will be conducted by Purdue faculty and staff, including French, who has visited Taylor Guitars’ headquarters in El Cajon, Calif., doing structural dynamics testing on about 60 acoustic guitars in Taylor’s factory. French also teaches a class during the academic year on instrument manufacturing and testing in which students build and test an acoustic guitar.

Brad Harriger, a professor of manufacturing engineering technology, will offer insights on advanced manufacturing processes. Richard Couch, director of engagement at Purdue’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing, will offer insights on large-scale manufacturing.

French said he is especially interested in reaching out to women and minorities, groups that he said are traditionally not attracted to careers in advanced manufacturing.

“There is a national shortage of qualified workers in the industry, so getting kids interested early is important,” he said. “There is a huge demand for our students. We want to dispel the myth that using power tools and large machinery is just for boys. Creating a learning environment where everyone isn’t the same is an important step in changing attitudes.”

Each workshop is limited to 15 participants. Those interested in signing up can contact French at (765) 494-7521 or rmfrench@purdue.edu.

North Central Indiana region (Generation 1) is focusing its talent initiatives, in part, on the adoption of Project Lead the Way in middle and high schools.

Project Lead the Way accelerates engineering education by introducing project-based engineering curricula. You can learn more about Project Lead the Way from their web site. 

Southwest Indiana, a Generation 2 region, is pursuing the same strategy. Read more.