Selected
Articles from NECA Newsletter
Dr.
NECA
President
2004:
More Recruiting, Retraining, Less Retrenching
Happy New Year—early
predictions look like 2004 may be a good year for the National Employment
Counseling Association’s (NECA) professional members at their local public or
private workforce employment sites.
Recent articles in professional publications and headlines in the Wall
Street Journal, New York Times, Dow Jones and associated news coverage,
indicate the improving economy will put companies in a stronger position to
spend more time recruiting and retraining workers. This is good news since
companies for the past several years have been forced to focus on reducing
costs and increasing productivity, often by cutting employees. Our aging work
force, soon to retire, creates a brighter outlook and more opportunities for
hiring, jobseekers, and flexible work arrangements. The opportunities to utilize strategies to
strengthen the bargaining power of employees, employers and job seekers will
set the program agenda for NECA’s focus during 2004.
NECA
targets employers and jobseekers. Save the date March 31-
Meeting
employers' needs for a skilled workforce while preparing workers for employment
that is meaningful and economically self-sustaining is both a local and global
challenge. Sharing knowledge and information about these challenges is
essential to understanding and addressing them. The 38th NECA Professional
Development Workshop and
Don't miss
this opportunity to learn from and network with local, state, national and
international counseling and employment development leaders.
Intensive learning opportunities. The 2004 NECA workshop and summit is
your opportunity to learn from the best in the field of education, job training
and employment. The keynote speakers include Robert Chope,
author of Dancing Naked, with points for breaking through the emotional
limits that keep one from the job of choice, and Herbert Schaffner,
coauthor of A Nation at Risk 2003, presenting facts about how the
economic, demographic, policy and business workforce and workplace are
changing. In addition, other presenters will focus on cutting-edge skills and
information--from new techniques and initiatives to best practices for serving
diverse populations.
Last year's
NECA professional development workshop was a success. This year, unique
intensive training workshops will be available to all attendees as part of the
conference at no additional fee other than the expense of the specific training
manuals for two of the three workshops. These innovative intensive sessions
will allow participants to hone their skills in one area of professional
development. Topics include:
·
Cherri
Butler, Carol Mason and Martha Russell on Retirement Issues: Planning your
energy and career investment
·
Helen Hackett of the Canadian Life Work Center
and Penny Shenk of America Career Resource Network
Association with training on adult version of the Real Game career
management version: Real Times, Real Life (kit is suggested and required
if you wish to be considered for the Registry managed by ACRNA--contact state
ACRN director or order kit from www.realgame.org or 1.888.700.8940)
·
Harvey
Schmelter-Davis of Rutgers, Phil Lewis and Dave Rivkin of the US Dept of Labor, presenting training on the Working
Ahead: Global Career Development Facilitation Instructor Training, a fast
track workshop for current career development facilitators interested in the
Registry (separate application required, plus $175 for training manuals-contact
kbrawley@mindspring.com for
application)--the comprehensive O*NET Assessment will be a substantial part of
this training.
A NECA
workshop and summit proceedings will be made available to all attendees that
will include presentation materials and research.
·
Join
NECA leaders, members, friends and colleagues for an evening of cheer and
commemoration at the Past Presidents Reception on March 31. We will honor these
leaders who have carried the advocacy torch for a skilled workforce and
economic self- sufficiency.
·
You
can join us for a celebration of counselors at our annual NECA awards luncheon
April 1 to recognize those who exemplify vision, provide unique leadership, and
serve as role models for other employment and workforce professionals.
·
Hear
from our public policy specialist at the American Counseling Association, Scott
Barstow, and learn what is likely to happen in Congress during 2004 on the
Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization. Find out how you can help turn
workforce development into a priority for the Administration and Congress.
·
Meet
our representative Susan Shafer at the Center for Credentialing and Education
and learn about what's really happening with the internationalization of the
Global Career Development Facilitator credential, multi-country collaboration
and training.
Veteran
Affairs
Handle With Care
By
Steve Flaherty, MCC, NCC
Trustee, State Divisions/One-Stops/WIB
We currently have over 1 million two hundred thousand military members serving our country. While the majority of them are regular active duty personnel over eight hundred thousand are members of the Reserve and National Guard. Many of the Reserve and National Guard personnel have been called to active duty for extended periods. They will endure the same types of risks and hardships that the regular military members face, but in addition, many will face significant financial difficulties because of the financial disparity between what they were earning in civilian life to what they currently are earning on active duty.
The majority of those serving our country in the War on Terror in their late teens to late twenties As of this writing there are approximately 150,000 military members serving in Iraq, with the remainder stationed stateside and around the world. Hopefully, within the next few months, many will be returning home and returning to civilian life. Most will have served a three or four year enlistment and will be in their early twenties. Others will be leaving the military after serving twenty to thirty years.
Most will be seeking new employment and some will be returning to their former jobs or school. Most of them will have had the opportunity to attend a Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at their bases before separating, but they still will have a need for assistance with employment, and many will seek the services of their Department of Labor One Stop. They offer many excellent employment services and in addition can provide the veteran with additional information to further assist them in their transition to civilian life. Other services that may be provided would be training opportunities (if eligible), putting them in touch with local private, state and federal agencies that may be able assist them, such as the various service agencies which can assist them with filing disability claims.
Unlike
the veterans of the
Please remember that It doesn’t matter what your politics are or if you support the war or not. What does matter, is that we understand that our veterans do not create war, or policy, but are only carrying out policy by following their orders. They need our assistance and respect when they return home. They have tremendous skills, had responsibilities that most of their civilian counterparts who are the same age have not had, good solid educational backgrounds, excellent work ethic, can be counted upon to finish the job and are willing to continue to learn. They are the type of potential employees that most employers are looking for.
All of our returning veterans will be going through an adjustment period which for most will be relatively minor while for others the transition to civilian life will be far more difficult. This is partially based upon the length of time spent in the military, age, expectations and attitude.
I would be remiss if I did not mention one special group of returning veterans who unfortunately will forever have had their lives changed due to physical and mental disabilities sustained during their service and for them, returning home will present great challenges with their rehabilitation and readjustment. Most of this group will also be seeking employment or educational opportunities.
That’s where NECA, ACA and the ACA divisions and their members can truly lend a tremendous hand in assisting our veterans with the transition process to civilian life by assisting them with assessment, counseling and obtaining meaningful employment.
Literary Section
(Reprinted
with Permission from
ERIC)
MYTHS AND REALITIES Clearinghouse on Adult, Career,
and Vocational Education
Educational
NO. 27
by Bettina Lankard Brown
2003 The .New Economy.:
Real or High-Tech Bubble?
The .New Economy. is a term coined to reflect a society in which information
and communication technology are changing the nature of the workplace and
contributing to more efficient and productive operational practices geared
toward improving the quality of products and services. For a time, it appeared
as if these expectations of the .New Economy. were
being realized. The stock market was up, business profit margins were
increasing, and worker incomes were rising.
However, the collapse of dot.coms, the
Enron scandal, and other events have led some to doubt that the promises were
based on anything substantial. This publication examines the evidence for and
against the existence of the New Economy and explores how jobs and careers may
be affected by its existence (or nonexistence).
Do Productivity Gains Support the Promises
of the New Economy?
As analysts debate the ability of the New Economy to sustain the
initial surge of business prosperity that has been halted by a 2-year
recession, news of a possible recovery is hitting the streets. Figures reported
by the U.S. Department of Commerce on
Do these figures indicate that the New Economy is headed toward
recovery? No, say many analysts, not when so many people are unemployed and
there are too few jobs. The current unemployment rate of 6.1 percent indicates
that a great number of Americans are still out of work. In addition, although
incomes of many are up, they are not keeping pace with the market (Nadesan 2001). Many citizens are unable to afford key goods
and services, such as housing, health care, prescription drugs, education, and
child care (Madrick 2002). Equally as firm in their
convictions are those who believe that the technological advances of the New
Economy promise a better future and continue to afford opportunities for gains,
not only in productivity, but also in consumer welfare (Coy 2001). .Real wages,
business capital spending and productivity growth are higher than they were 7 years
ago despite the 2001 recession,. leaving
consumers, investors, and companies in better shape than they were before the
boom (Mandel 2002a,p. 1). The most recent GDP report may indicate that
businesses are recovering; that they are controlling operations, diversifying,
and managing risks; and that they will be able to .prevent the sustained drop
in economic activity that has been typical of most recessions. (Alcaly 2003, p. 263). However it may also be that this recent surge
in consumer spending, triggered by tax cuts and low interest rates, is
temporary and that until there is steady improvement in the labor market.
specifically new jobs.the promises of the New Economy may never be realized.
Are Companies positioning themselves for an Economic Rebound?
There has been some speculation that the concept of the New
Economy was promulgated by the media and spurred by speculative stock
investments in high technology (Madrick 2002).
However the New Economy is not about price-earnings multiples, it is about .an
economy
capable of growing more rapidly without inflation than it did
during the long slump of 1973 to 1995 because of technology-driven increases in
productivity, the world’s best financial systems, and the unleashing of
entrepreneurial energies through deregulation. (Coy 2001, p.
80). Companies in the New Economy have made changes as a result of these
recent market innovations. Rather than producing mass quantities of
standardized products, companies are focused on providing a
greater variety
of goods, produced in smaller batches and subject to quality standards. They
are becoming more efficient and cost-effective, coordinating their operations
with all of the stakeholders in their operations.e.g., suppliers, designers, and distributors; they are employing
better-skilled workers and giving them more decision-making responsibilities (Alcaly 2003). These organizational practices are helping
businesses avoid the .rigidity and wastefulness of an aging
industrial economy
based on .Fordist. mass
production principles. Does the
New Economy Demand a Top-Notch Work Force?
Crucial in the New Economy are information, ideas, and technology,
spurred by intellectual assets (educated workers) and intellectual property
(innovations). It is the workers. knowledgeable use of
technology that can enhance the value of a company.s
products and services (Kearns 2002). Thus, businesses are looking for workers
who are skilled, knowledgeable, and creative.who know
not only about technology, but about how to use it; who can not only use
technology, but who have the intelligence and creativity to develop new
technology that will make them competitive. Today, the majority of workers use
a computer every day and many have access to one at home. In an average
workday, American workers
spend 33
percent of their time working on the computer and 23 percent on the Internet (Heldrich 2000). Thus, a company.s
success is dependent on each worker.s effective and
innovative use of information technologies. Education is a key factor in
employability as well. The New Economy
needs a work
force that is capable of .conducting research and development and devising new
ways to manage and market a business. (Kearns 2002, p. 26).
Businesses need workers who have discrimination, analysis, and interpretation skills;
they need workers who can
solve problems
(Botstein 2001; Kearns 2002). These are skills that require postsecondary
education and continued lifelong learning. Research shows those with higher
education are more
likely to be given access to on-the-job training and technology,
advantages that are widening the gap between haves and have nots.This project
has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of
Education under Contract No. ED-99-CO-0013. The
content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies
of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Myths
and Realities may be freely reproduced. (Carnevale 1996; Mandel 2002b). Those with limited education will be left behind. The need for
manual work is disappearing (Bayliss 2001).
Are New Technologies Creating the Most Jobs?
Of occupations experiencing the greatest job growth in the New
Economy, only a small proportion can be described as specialist information
technology occupations. However, Gadrey (2001)
contends that the New Economy is not about job creation, but about the use of
enhanced technology to perform a variety of job functions that lead to
productivity gains and cost reductions and improved quality, relevance, working
conditions. Thus, educated and skilled workers such as general managers,
teachers, marketing and sales personnel, etc., must have some level of
technical proficiency. If new jobs are not being created, how can people, even
the well educated, position themselves to be marketable? Botstein (2001) speaks
of the need for U.S. workers to move beyond their comfort zone and become more
knowledgeable about all areas of the world and about the people who live in
them, especially when there is increasing diversity in the workplace, including
an increase in immigrant workers: .There is little question that even if there
were no new technology at all in the public education systems in the
kindergarten on, more
about the world outside of American and
Will Careers Be Characterized by Portfolios Rather than Tenure?
The New Economy is characterized by the decentralization of
economic power and opportunities. .At the level of individual businesses and
national economies, flexibility is winning out over rigid controls. And the
capacity to respond to change is winning out over the capacity to dictate it. (DeLong and Summers 2001, p. 54).
This is becoming true for individuals as well as organizations, for in the newly
evolving workplace, the qualities, capabilities, and ideas of individual
workers are being given greater weight and also greater control of their own
careers with
greater responsibility for directing their career progress. Career resilience.knowing how best to navigate the ongoing changes
in the workplace.may be the key to employment.
Employment will not be characterized by years of service in a company, but
rather by years of employment in a specific occupational field. Many will have
careers that are characterized by the term .portfolio. careers
that reflect a mixing and matching of experiences that follow a variety of
patterns and take
place at different times and in different places. Many people will work from
their homes (Bayliss 2001). Telecommuting is a work
option that is growing in popularity for many
reasons. For
businesses, it eliminates the cost of expensive office space that is used daily
by all workers; for employees, it saves the time and expense incurred traveling
to the office. But most important, telecommuting has shown to result in
increased worker productivity and higher job satisfaction (Heldrich
2000). Conclusion: Whether the New Economy is myth or reality, certain facts are
evident: individuals need to be able to find and keep jobs, and they need
education to prepare them for employment. In light of technological advances,
it is obvious that many of the available jobs will require some level of
technical competence. However, this is not the only qualification that is
important. Workers need transferable skills that will enable them to be
flexible,
responding to
opportunities as they present themselves. They must have foresight, be ready to
relocate if necessary, and be creative in finding matches between their skills
and available jobs. They must be able to work well with others, .handle
exceptions, solve problems, and learn new ways of doing things at work. (Carnevale 1996, p. 4). New
generations of workers will .not be short of information and knowledge. What
they will need much more is the development of their
critical
faculties, their ability to access, evaluate, synthesize, and apply what they
find; and more conscious development of their ability to relate to others, and
to communicate in a variety of ways. (Bayliss
2001, p. 17). References: Alcaly, R. The New Economy.
Higher Education 15, no. 1 (February 2001): 13-18. Botstein, L. .A
Brave New World?. School Administrator 58, no. 3
(March 2001): 6-9. Carnevale, A. P.
.Liberal Education & The New Economy.. Liberal Education 82, no. 2 (Spring 1996): 4-11. Coy, P. .The
New Economy: How Real Is It?. Business Week no. 3746 (
Employers and
Government.
Manifest Destiny in a Technological Age..
Management
Communication Quarterly 14, no. 3
(February 2001): 498-506.