Panel Examines Workforce Development for the New Economy
Psychology
Professor Examines Childhood Transitions in Education with NIMH Grant
BHE
Awards Honors Program With Commonwealth Honors Status
“Let
Us Serve You” Was the Theme for the Student Appreciation Luncheon
Panel
Examines Workforce
Development for the New Economy
U.S.
Department of Education Funds CSDE Research on Children and Autism
Students
Give Single Largest Donation to WB 56’s Disaster Relief Fund
Best
Practices: On-Line Systems at CPCS
Labor
Resource Center Striving to Improve the Lives of Workers
English
Department Welcomes Fiction Writer Askold Melnyczuk
The
Latest with PeopleSoft:
New System for Student Recruitment
Criminal
Justice Professor Unveils Community Policing Attitudes in Dorchester
Emerging
Leaders Honored at Luncheon
New
International Relations Program Makes Unique Contribution
Calendar
of EventsBy Anne-Marie Kent
“We are a knowledge-based economy. It is critical that we have a skilled, adaptable workforce,” said Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce President Paul Guzzi at the Workforce Development Panel at ITEC’s Massachusetts Technology Showcase, held at the World Trade Center Boston on October 11.
The event was sponsored by the University of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC) and moderated by UMass alumnus Mark Mills of Business1060 Radio and New England Cable News. Panelists discussed ways to prepare the Massachusetts workforce for the new economy. Participants included Guzzi, Massachusetts Software and Internet Council President Joyce Plotkin, Massachusetts Department of Economic Development Deputy Director John G. Troast Jr., and MassINC Executive Director Tripp Jones.
Jones cited the shocking statistic that a full third of the three million Massachusetts workers lack what he called, “Twenty-first century skills.”
Pointing to the ways the university helps develop the skills and adaptability of the Common-wealth’s workforce, Chancellor Jo Ann Gora listed many initiatives, including the Small Business Assistance Center, working with over 170 companies annually; the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership; and efforts of the Office of Economic Development, led by John Ciccarelli. Gora went on to note UMass Boston’s 25 certificate programs and over 20 on-line courses offered by the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education — all of which extend the possibilities for workers pursuing lifelong learning. She also mentioned initiatives such as Camp Telecom, which introduces high schoolers to technical careers.
Both Gora and UMass President Bulger noted the difference between simple training and education. Bulger said, “It is a well-rounded, comprehensive education that enables individuals to deal with new realities, including rapid changes in new technology.”