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MYTHOLOGY
BY DESMOND BERNSTEIN
Sky Is Falling? Don’t Buy the Conventional Workforce Wisdom Chris McAllister
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alk into any central Minnesota cafe and ask the guy on the stool what he thinks about today’s kids and the future workforce. Then make yourself comfortable, because it’ll be awhile. Many of us share strong opinions about our work and what it takes to succeed. We bet you’ve heard (and maybe even passed along) the following myths. Here’s what the experts had to say . . . Conventional Wisdom: Young workers today are selfish, lazy, and unreliable. Reality-Check: America’s work ethic is changing, not disappearing. According to Greg Koenigs, humanrelations director for Coborn’s expanding chain of more than sixty grocery and convenience stores, the Millenial generation is bringing a new set of expectations and skills to the workplace. Coborn’s leans on 1,500 workers between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one—about a quarter of its total workforce. “I always hear that this generation doesn’t have a work ethic,” says Koenigs, “but I see them getting exceptional grades. I see them involved in sports, extracurriculars, volunteerism, and working besides. They’re doing a ton of things—way more than my generation did. “But you just can’t tell them, ‘Here’s a toothbrush. Now, go sweep the floor.’ Nowadays, kids ask why. They don’t just accept authority for the sake of authority. As adults and supervisors, we need to understand that and not make generalizations.”
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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org
Conventional Wisdom: A four-year degree is the first, essential step to success. Reality-Check: Not as often as you might think. Okay, what about the 2000 U.S. Census report that people with bachelor’s degrees earned about $15,500 more per year than those with high-school diplomas? Case closed, right? Not so fast. Looking forward to 2014, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) projects that 78 percent of all Minnesota jobs won’t require a four-year degree as their most significant source of training. “The idea that I grew up with—that if you get any four-year degree, you’ll be able to get a good job—is simply not true,” says Kathy Zavala, executive director of StearnsBenton Employment and Training Council. “Employers are singing a different tune now. Many high-demand occupations don’t require an advanced degree, so the key is understanding the labor market, yourself, and what your goals are.” Conventional Wisdom: With baby boomer retirements, a looming workforce shortage will cripple Minnesota’s economy. Reality-Check: The sky isn’t falling—at least, not everywhere. It’s true that certain sectors are scrambling to fill positions, especially in healthcare and manufacturing fields hit by the doublewhammy of retiring workers and increasing demand. While Minnesota’s northwest and
southwest regions are bracing for the worst, central Minnesota may be better positioned to weather the storm, says Cameron Macht, DEED regional analyst. “Employers here are worried about a shortage in skills more than workers,” he says. “Central Minnesota is in an enviable position right now. It has a growing population of twenty-five to forty-four-year-olds, many with higher education levels and twoincome households. All the ingredients are there for economic growth in the future.” Conventional Wisdom: If you want a good job, move to the big city. Reality-Check: Before you commit to suits, commuting, and skyscrapers, break out your calculator. There’s no doubt about it. Urban jobs pay better and there are more of them. But Don Macke, director of Nebraska’s RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, has a message for starry-eyed rural students waiting to flee their hometowns after graduation. “My advice to young people today is to do the math,” says Macke. “If you’re considering relocation to a big city, remember that you’ll face a 20–50 percent higher cost of living related to housing, congestion, and crime.” According to the Initiative Foundation, central Minnesota’s rural communities are also poised for future growth in technology, bioscience, and high-tech manufacturing companies with many professional and skilled job opportunities close to home. React at IQMAG.ORG