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The Employer/Education Ecosystem
I interviewed Mr. Fred Payne, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, for an upcoming episode of Our College, Your Voices. Few people look at the entirety of the ecosystem between employers and employees in my opinion; but that, in essence, is Mr. Payne’s job.
The word ecosystem is probably overused, but the definition, “(in general use) a complex network or interconnected system” is apropos here — particularly if you add in the system of education and training that employers need employees to have in order for both to be successful and meet their goals.
As someone who has worked in higher education nearly my entire adult career, we often try to help students (future employees) better understand the workplaces (employers) where they might work and the specific jobs they might do. However, we spend painfully little time making sure that faculty who teach those students remain connected to what happens in the workplace.
As educators and employers, we need to work more closely together to connect both students and faculty to the workplace in meaningful ways on a regular and ongoing basis.
