Despite being home to the second-most educated workforce in the country, attracting more new worker —especially millennials—than 46 other states in the union and having a growing economy where unemployment to date sits at 3.6 percent, Noel Ginsburg dreads the day when one of his employee’s puts in his notice.
That’s because he can’t find people with the skills needed for the manufacturing done by his four plastic-injection molding companies that comprise Intertech Plastics.
But the problem, Ginsburg said, isn’t the education system, which locally has been focused on this challenge for years and is leading the nation in strides to increase career and college readiness. The real issue, he says, is business.
It was a visit to Switzerland while chairing the Denver Public Schools College and Career Pathways Council that really opened his eyes to how business leaders can be part of the solution—not just the peanut gallery. Now, Ginsburg is on a mission to unite businesses as conversations around workforce and career readiness are reaching critical mass.
The Swiss model: New opportunities through residency
There is a shifting focus in education, causing Denver Public Schools, community colleges and universities to rethink their models. And each of these educators at all levels agree that business has an important role to play.
In Switzerland, businesses go a step further, driving career curriculum in schools and making an investment in student education and training. Here’s how the Swiss model works: Around the age of 16, students can begin to explore careers through an apprenticeship-style model, where they spend two days a week in the classroom and the other three days in a business. It’s an approach popular with students—about 70 percent of them choose this option.
“They’re choosing [the apprenticeship] because it leads to unlimited opportunity,” said Denver Public Schools CareerConnect Director Joe Saboe. Following their research trip there, DPS is launching a residency-style model mirrored after the Swiss starting in 2017.
The results speak for themselves: 99 percent of Swiss students who choose this option graduate and only 2.4 percent of youth are unemployed (and that’s compared to 3.2 percent overall in Switzerland).
Those are statistics that have business and education leaders sitting up in Denver, considering that today 13.1 percent of youth are not in school or working; 54 percent graduate high school on time and of those, only 18 percent will go on to complete a post-secondary degree on time. That has employers concerned, because by 2020 Colorado’s need for high-skilled employees—those with some sort of certification or degree—will be 74 percent of the workforce; the highest of any state (tied with Minnesota).
DPS was attracted to the Swiss model not only because of its success in creating career pathways for youth but also because those paths emphasize transferable skills that don’t pigeonhole students into one skillset or job as other international programs can. Career-focused learning is already making an impact in DPS. Students who participate in their CareerConnect programs now, from exploring careers to mentoring and internships, have a 30 percent higher graduation rate than their peers.
“It’s incredibly engaging for students to learn something in the classroom and then the next day put it into practice in a place of work. That kind of dual learning is extremely appealing for us,” said DPS CareerResidency Director Lauren Trent.
Once they saw Swiss model in action, DPS officials decided it was something they could scale—and use to take their career and technical education a step further. Adding the CareerResidency program to their offerings in 2017 will allow students to gain experience and earn an associate degree. Denver educators say their work to bring this Swiss model to Colorado is unlike any other career readiness program in the country.
The CareerResidency program will focus on five industries that are set to grow and have a wide variety of openings: advanced manufacturing, engineering, health care, finance and technology. DPS is seeking businesses to partner with on this program, already working with over 30 companies in its other CareerConnect programs.
“We’re really the only state who’s taking a system-wide approach to this. It sounds like we’re ahead of the curve in a good way,” Trent said. “I think part of that is having business, higher education and K through 12 all at the table at the same time working together on this problem.”
Business associations lead the way
Once businesses sign on to participate with DPS, the district hopes to collaborate with the company and their industry association to create a curriculum that will develop the skills employers need.
That’s why Ginsburg founded BASIC (Businesses and Schools in Collaboration) and is chairing the Business Experiential- Learning Commission (BEL Commision). BASIC connects with companies for these on-site learning opportunities, offering support. The BEL Commission is taking a higher view, looking at the overall workforce system and trying to align private and public resources.
“The strategy is to have the industry associations really drive this forward,” Ginsburg said.
Having a major company or association stand up in support of this learning approach speaks volumes, educators said. “A champion approach within the sector, as well as an industry association approach, has really helped people come to us,” said DPS’ Saboe.
And, it creates connections. Through their involvement at the Chamber, AT&T has been connected to organizations like BASIC and Colorado Succeeds that give them more opportunity to focus on growing a tech-savvy workforce.
“It’s really exciting to hear that business leaders are really starting to take a nontraditional look at how we bring up our future workforce,” said AT&T Colorado President Roberta Robinette.
Business has long played a role in more traditional workforce development and in higher education—from partnering with nonprofits like Goodwill Industries of Denver to community colleges and universities.
“This is a very simple supply and demand equation,” said Goodwill CEO Stuart Davie, whose organization provides youth development and adult career training and job placement. “The challenge is going to be can we do something that’s meaningful enough and quick enough?”
And, that commitment from business has to last, said Ryan Gensler, the marketing manager for Intertech Plastics who also works with Ginsburg on BASIC.
“This is something that becomes part of their operations … It’s not just something that’s done because we can right now,” Gensler said.
Where higher ed fits
If there’s been an elephant in the room, it’s how higher education fits into this education model of the future. But, supporters say there is no either-or, but rather a yes-and approach to this model.
“This is a way to unify higher education and workforce development,” Saboe said.
In the Swiss model, 59 percent of students who get vocational training go on to complete a postsecondary degree; and those with an apprenticeship under their belt and a degree will earn 30 percent more than their peers.
“It’s really exciting to hear that business leaders are really starting to take a nontraditional look at how we bring up our future workforce.” — AT&T Colorado President Roberta Robinette.
Here in Colorado, time, money and experience are considerations now more than ever as students look at their options after high school.
That’s why higher education providers, from Emily Griffith Technical College and Community College of Denver to the University of Colorado Denver are evaluating their offerings more frequently and ensuring that businesses are weighing in.
At CU Denver, that includes redesigning their master of business administration program, creating a master in tax accounting, adding a business minor and growing and adding certificate programs.
“We’re throwing out the traditions and saying, ‘what’s the best way we can serve our students and the needs of the community?’” said CU Denver Business School Interim Dean Gary Kochenberger.
Certificates and online learning are playing a big role for AT&T, which partnered with Udacity and the Georgia Institute of Technology to offer online nanodegrees that focus on basic software skills, as well as a master in computer science.
“For us it was a matter of survival in the 21st century,” Robinette said. “In today’s world we’ve all really got to start thinking outside of the box.”
Since launching in 2014, AT&T has had about 10,000 students enroll, including about 1,000 of their own employees.
Partnerships are important, and growing, said Community College of Denver Foundation and College Advancement Executive Director Francie Anhut. And increasingly, using on-the-job opportunities, such as clinical rotations in their medial programs, allow employers to also vet students for future jobs.
“We’re actually delighted by that,” Anhut said. “We can virtually guarantee our students
employment.”
Meanwhile, Emily Griffith has focused on extensive hands-on learning, programs that can be completed in a year or less and building business partnerships that lead to jobs for their students. And they’re always looking at ways to get students out in the field to gain more real-world experience, said Emily Griffith Executive Director Jeff Barratt.
“I think 10 years from now, you’re going to see a totally different package of how a certificate or a degree looks,” he said.
Kochenberger agreed.
“We think we’re in the right place at the right time,” he said. “A modern business school should be one that’s in collaboration with the business and government community. We think just being an ivory tower entity no longer is good enough. We need to be making a difference and we’re doing that.”
Building tomorrow’s workforce today
What educators and business leaders alike agreed on is a sense of urgency right now to build a skilled workforce. But, they all caution that these conversations have to turn into action.
“We have a bold vision … that’s going to take Denver and Colorado light-years from where it’s been,” DPS’ Saboe said. “But if we don’t go all in on this as a business community and as a state, we will not be able to effectively compete as companies, in economic development or in workforce development in the years ahead.”
And, educators are looking to business to help lead the way.
“I think it’s going to come down to, will industry pony up … put people and resources on the line to make it happen,” Community College of Denver’s Anhut said. “I think that’s going to be the interesting challenge.”
Ginsburg acknowledges that it won’t be easy, but once they figure it out in Denver, they can grow this career residency model across the state, and even the nation.
“As with anything, you’ve really got to start small,” he said. “It’s intended to be statewide and frankly beyond … What we’re creating is really open source so that people can access it and use it and hopefully enhance it over time.”
Sara Crocker is the communications manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
This was originally published in the Winter issue of Business Altitude. Click here to read the full issue.