Data. It’s collected everywhere by seemingly everyone. With rapidly advancing technology and the ability to store large amounts of data affordably in the cloud, never before has there been so much information available to help us make decisions. But that’s also the challenge. Who is available with the fundamental training to analyze all of this data and tell the stories to help make data-driven decisions?
By Philip Brown, Marketing Director, Kansas Manufacturing Solutions (KMS)
What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a common question asked of kids. Answers are often a fireman, a policeman, or an astronaut, but rarely do kids reply, “I want to be a MANUFACTURER when I grow up!”
This may be because they don’t realize how cool manufacturing is or that manufacturing jobs have evolved. Maybe they don't know a career in manufacturing can be very lucrative.
About mid-year, high school seniors and parents alike can really start to sweat when there are a lot of future decisions still unmade. The pressure to figure out what’s next can be off the charts, especially when a kid has no clue and they feel like every other person is asking about their plans. The last thing you want is for your kid to make a snap decision they’ll later regret — or just do what a friend is doing — because it seems safe.
Here are six suggestions that could help your child get on an affordable path that fits their talents and interests.
For National Apprenticeship Week, observed Nov. 14-20, 2022, educators, industries, workers and employers are celebrating the benefits and successes of apprenticeships.
For kids who love building new creations with Legos or like working with their hands more than they like sitting at a desk, a construction career might be a good fit. Here are four ways high school or college students can get a closer look at what it’s like to work in heavy construction, which is, in general, the building of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Kansas teachers and parents can help students “try on” in-demand jobs through an innovative career exploration program that delivers activities and resources directly to them.
When first becoming parents, most of us spend time learning from parenting books, blogs and one another about what we are supposed to do with these squirming, stubborn, tiny humans. Whether we’re learning to recognize developmental milestones or how to handle meltdowns, many of us depend on these resources to guide us through the journey of parenthood. This is especially true with our first child (not so much for each child thereafter!).
Spring is the season students often make commitments for their future. Whether that’s enrolling for next year’s classes, choosing a post-secondary institution of higher learning, or submitting job applications and resumes, these deadlines often approach as the flowers bloom.
As you help your children and students make these decisions about their future, I’d like to share four newer ways to think about career training, some of which might differ from the mindset you were raised with.
As a product of Kansas public schools in the 1980s and early 1990s, I grew up believing that if I (as a girl) wanted to be president of the United States, I could be. My parents taught me that if William wants a doll, he should have one, and that it was just as important for women to work outside of the home as men.
Growing up, I was greatly influenced by my father, Eddie Anderson, who is an amazing speaker, mentor, church leader, project estimator, construction supervisor and a jack of all trades. Today, he’s highly respected by his peers, community and church. But in high school, he was told, “Eddie, you don’t need to go to college or get a degree to be successful. You can just work off your back.”