This week there was an article in the NY Times about Gadget Camp, a workshop for girls in River Grove, IL to expose girls to the skills needed to get jobs in manufacturing. I love this idea! As one of the few girls that took (and thoroughly enjoyed) wood shop and metal shop, I wish I had something like this growing up. There’s absolutely no reason girls and women can’t do these jobs.
Through my involvement with the New Haven Manufactures’ Association (NHMA) Workforce Development Committee, I’ve seen personally how many how many manufacturers there are in CT and how many jobs they have. Yes, there are jobs in manufacturing, and not only are there jobs, these are good jobs that don’t require a college degree. They do however require skills, especially math skills, and unfortunately, our public schools are not doing a great job providing them.
Our Vocational schools, however, are providing kids with the skills they need for these jobs as well as a good traditional education. Before getting involved with the NHMA, I didn’t realize that the kids at the Vo-Tech schools took the same academic course load as public schools PLUS training in their field. The kids that I’ve met are bright and passionate about their field. Whether they go on to college or not, they have a bright future ahead of them.
Programs like Gadget Camp and even more so, the Vo-Tech system, provide much need skills and opportunities for the kids that participate in them, and critical talent for our businesses. We should do anything we can to support them.
When it comes to technological solutions, you want a firm that has a proven track record of excellence. As one of the first software and hardware consulting firms in the Northeastern United States, Advanced Decisions is a leader in the industry. Our strength is not only in the experience that we bring, but also in our approach to developing solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment