A blog for people who want to learn--and to lead--in new and innovative ways. From the College of Professional and Continuing Education, Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest unemployment numbers. And the news is good. Again.
In October, the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent, the lowest it’s been in nearly 50 years, as 250,000 new jobs were added. Wages were up as well by 3.1 percent, the largest year-over-year gain for hourly wages in over a decade according to the Wall Street Journal. With so many job openings, as well as job-seekers, now is the time to think about your skills and how to stand out in a crowd. Continue reading →
Some advice from one generation of leaders to the next
by Phil Hammond
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
You get up in the morning. Get in your car, call Uber, hop on the T or settle yourself in a home office. How do you do it? How do you motivate yourself to be successful in your chosen field? How do construction managers, facility directors and project managers operate effectively, successfully and cooperatively within project teams?
It is estimated that by 2020, 46 percent of the workforce in the US will be between the ages of 24 and 39. For baby boomers, like me, that means preparing to hand over leadership in the workplace to members of the millennial generation. For some, including some millennials, this raises an important question: are millennials ready to lead? Josh Bersin, in Forbes Magazine, argues they are not. Pointing to a recent study which showed 30 percent of millennials themselves felt they were not prepared for the responsibilities of leadership due to a lack of confidence managing employees and resolving conflicts, Bersin notes, “this generation isn’t developed for leadership now” (Bersin, 2013 ). Continue reading →
How one college dean helps adult students get their bearings going back to school
by Deborah Wright
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
My career in higher education has focused primarily on non-traditional adult students. Unlike most people, when I close my eyes and think of a college student, I see the single mother, the veteran, and the full-time employee (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2018). And while the definition of who an adult student is – financially independent, attending school part-time, employed full-time or someone who just delayed postsecondary education (Nadworny, 2018) – there are a few things that I have observed that all adult students have in common. Continue reading →
Author and speaker, Anne Lamott, tells the story of her ten-year-old brother who was trying to write a report on birds. Despite having nearly 3 months to work on it, he had put it off until the night before it was due. Close to tears, he sat at the family’s kitchen table surrounded by books and pencils and clean paper, overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Then Lamott’s father sat down beside her brother, put his arm around his shoulders and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird” (Lamott, 1994).
For many adults, returning to school can feel like trying to write a report the night before it is due. On the threshold of a new academic year, surrounded by stacks of books and pencils and clean paper they feel overwhelmed by the enormity of what lies ahead and wonder how they will ever make it through. Below are five steps that will not only help students to survive, but to thrive, in the new academic year. Continue reading →
Going back to school is a big commitment. And it can feel overwhelming at times. Below are 6 things that every part-time student can do to help manage the workload and be successful in their program.
Learn to say “no:” Establish school as a priority and set boundaries. Let your friends and family know that you are in school and that you might not be available for certain events and activities. Ask for their support and understanding. You have made a commitment to your studies, and you are setting a good example for others by following through on your commitment.
