It is hard for me to believe that after 22 years, I got to see my daughter off to her first “adult” job last week. As she begins the role of “full-time teacher,” I think back to all those years in late August when we took the picture with her backpack on, in front of the car, commemorating the first day of school. Time flies, doesn’t it?
Of course, it is also nice not to have to pay tuition this semester!
I have always placed a high value on education and its importance for helping us enter the world as contributing members of society. Education enables us to take care of ourselves, help others succeed, and leave things better than when we found them.
Without the core skills of reading, writing, and math, it would be like having to navigate the world with one hand tied behind your back.
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. – Malcolm X
Our team is now in that “nice” situation where we need to expand our workforce, and the challenge has never been harder to find quality candidates. In addition to finding the right skill set, we’re finding it hard to identify candidates who possess what I always thought of as fundamental capabilities, such as:
- Communications – learned through writing assignments, discussion & presentations
- Teamwork – learned from group participation, sports & competitive success
- Quality – learned by personal challenges, review & continuous re-enforcement
Each of these skills gets a tremendous boost during our primary K-12 years of formal schooling. When we ignore or water down the quality of that process, we increase the barriers to individual success later in life.
It is amazing to me how many candidates we see that have poor communication skills (written & oral), want to work by themselves, and put a value on being “done” versus producing a quality result. More importantly, many of these candidates don’t seem to understand the importance and value of these fundamentals.
While working from home these past few months has increased this challenge. I also think that we didn’t do our children any favors with participation trophies and allowing electronics to play an important role in their interactions with others.
Having a teacher in the family makes it that much easier for me to appreciate the value of education and ensuring that quality from the onset. My request is for you to get involved in your local community and its educational options – and work to ensure that it’s the best product available.
This is an easy choice that will have great value for them – and for you when you’re hiring!
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin
