We are a much different generation than any of those who have come before us, often called the "Net Generation," as the people in our generation grew up with the Internet. The Internet has changed the way people live, work and learn. We are the first generation with the computer in our classroom since day one, and this puts us at a huge advantage. However, we must use this advantage or the American workforce will suffer. Many corporations already have "corporate universities" which allow for in-house corporate learning. The generation that is going to be coming to these corporations in the future is not going to have the patience to sit in a classroom; they are going to need to be working and learning. Web 2.0 tools allow this new generation to take learning and training into their own hands and time. These tools include blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and other technologies.
Technology has given corporations the advantage of using workforces outside of the U.S. for less cost than American workers. This forces the American workforce to prove their worth over the less expensive workers. American colleges and universities are known as the best in the world, so it is not that our workforce is less desirable on a knowledge basis. The problem is that a company can hire a few number of more knowledgeable American workers or outsource and hire a significant number of less knowledgeable workers. The American workforce needs so be so advanced that they are more knowledgeable and productive than five or so workers. To make American workers so that they are so, the training they receive from K-12 all the way through graduate school has to be the very most advanced especially in the fields of math and science/technology. More than just putting in the extra effort to train our future workforce, the government needs to back schools in their efforts. The American government needs to invest funds in education to improve the future American workforce investment in the future will pay out when American jobs are not being outsourced because using a few American workers is worth more than using a number of less knowledgeable but cheaper labor.
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Kelly,
ReplyDeleteYou make good points about the advantage that we as "computer age" students and professionals have. Not only are we at an advantage, but the next generation will build upon the advancements we have made. With the implementation of CORPORATE U's like JetBlue's, there is a way to help "older" professionals catch up on the technology we are utilizing. I think that is one of the main reasons we will be doing the assignment in MODULE #3. In what ways do you think corporate u's help older professionals catch up?