Business-Education Partnerships
Quality Float Works – Recruiting and Hiring Untapped Talent
Throughout the country—communities both small and large—are in the midst of economic change. While traditional industries such as manufacturing continue to decline in many geographic areas, some companies are finding a competitive advantage when they strategically plan for workforce shortages in their region. Recruiting and hiring from untapped labor pools is one way Quality Float Works, a small manufacturer of metal floats in Schaumburg, Illinois is continuing to experience economic growth during such uncertain times. Sandra Westlund-Deenihan, president of Quality Float Works, believes this has been one of the biggest keys to her success. Of Sandra's 26 employees, 11 are minorities, four are women and four are veterans. "We bring in non-traditional workers, such as low income people and individuals with disabilities. We provide whatever skills people need to be successful," says Westlund-Deenihan.
In a recent Industry Week article, Quality Float Works was featured as one of a handful of manufacturers that were seeing the benefits from seeking out individuals who were skilled and qualified, but not coming from traditional sources. Sandra believes that providing basic skills training alongside on-the-job training is a key component to her success over the past few years. As her company grows, Sandra is well aware of the challenges she faces when finding and then keeping qualified workers on the job. Businesses that choose to integrate work support programs and flexibility into their daily operations are positioning themselves competitively as being the most attractive places to work.
Perot Systems Developing Standards for K-12 State Agencies
Since the early 1980's, Perot Systems, a global provider of innovative solutions and capabilities, has had a strong commitment to improving education in the United States. A longtime advocate for public school reform, H. Ross Perot, Chairman Emeritus of the Board, has personally and professionally partnered with both the Texas and United States departments of education for many years.
In an effort to expand Perot Systems' current efforts, the company has teamed up with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), an organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, to raise awareness and the need to improve the quality of education data collection in the 50 states. The company will begin to work on both the local and national level to reengineer the way education data from kindergarten through college is managed and processed in the United States through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education. "The associates at Perot Systems are honored to support the work of K-12 and higher education as they prepare the next generation of workers," says Kay Jacks, Senior Vice President, Perot Systems.
Together, Perot & CCSSO will work with K-12 state agencies to develop standards for data collection and accuracy. To learn more about Perot Systems, visit them online at www.perotsystems.com/default.
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
On July 28, the Siemens Foundation announced an exciting new partnership that will transform sustainability education in the United States with the unveiling of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.
This collaboration brings together the power of Discovery Communications, the #1 non-fiction media company in the world, and the National Science Teacher Association, the world's largest and most respected organization of science teachers. The partnership will focus on educating and engaging students, teachers and communities in exploring solutions for a more "green" environment built on sustainability practices.
The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge debuts in September 2008 just as students return from summer break. The challenge fosters active learning and teamwork, engages the local community and is equally accessible to underserved schools. Piloted to grades 6-8, with future expansion to elementary and high school, the program is aligned to national standards and engages teams of students to develop real-life solutions based on scientific investigation. The program culminates in Spring 2009 with national sustainability awards that include savings bonds, grants for schools, education tools for teachers, and exciting Discovery experiences for the winning teams.
Education, science and sustainability are ingrained in the DNA of Siemens. Just as the company is providing answers to challenges through its comprehensive environmental portfolio, the Siemens Foundation is providing answers through the eyes of our future leaders who will be transformed into active citizens in support of a sustainable world.
Booz Allen Hamilton Expands Student Disability Internship Program Nationwide
Finding and keeping good workers are among the greatest challenges facing businesses in the 21st century. Today, more than ever, businesses need access to a skilled and diverse workforce. They cannot stay competitive and increase profitability without qualified personnel.
People with disabilities are a source of qualified workers that is frequently overlooked. This pool of workers represents one of the largest groups seeking employment in today's market -- some 9 million unemployed Americans with significant disabilities want to work.
In 2001, Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology consulting firm, founded the Emerging Leaders Program, which is designed to place college students with disabilities into competitive internships within the company. The program not only provides students with work experience in the private sector, but it couples that experience with leadership development at non-profit organizations or within federal agencies.
According to Booz Allen Hamilton Chairman and CEO, Ralph Shrader, "A job is much more than a paycheck. It provides a means for us to learn and grow, to contribute to society, feel recognized and rewarded, and form deep friendships. For people with disabilities, finding a job—and gaining the significant benefits that come along with employment—can be especially difficult. Hiring qualified men and women with disabilities is good business and good citizenship."
Recently Booz Allen has transitioned the Emerging Leaders Program to the National Business and Disability Council in order to expand the program to more students and companies. Today the program assists corporations across the country in not only finding qualified young people to work, but it also helps them to consider diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices. Learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and Booz Allen Hamilton online.
Siemens is Committed to Inspiring America's Next Generation of Innovators
The United States ranks 16th out of 17 nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds earning college degrees in natural science or engineering as opposed to other majors. The American business community must be engaged in developing home grown talent if the United States is to remain an innovative and competitive nation in the 21st century.
For 10 years, the Siemens Foundation has invested heavily in developing the next generation of American scientists and engineers through its Generation 21 initiative and pioneering programs. Siemens Science Days events, geared toward promoting interest in science among elementary and middle school students with fun hands-on science activities, have already reached more than 35,000 students over the last two years with the help of Siemens employee volunteers. The Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, celebrating 10 years in 2008, recognize the top male and female high school student in every state who have achieved the highest scores on AP math and science exams. Scholarships are also awarded in every state to AP teachers and schools, whose remarkable dedication fosters students' current and future success. The Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology is recognized as the premier annual high school research competition in the United States. Students have an opportunity to achieve national recognition for research projects and earn scholarship awards from $1,000 to $100,000. At the graduate level, Siemens Teacher Scholarships recognize students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who plan to pursue teaching careers in science and math.
"At Siemens, we understand that an investment in our nation's future begins with investing resources in the lives of students, teachers, and high schools who will inspire our next generation of innovators," says Jim Whaley, president of the Siemens Foundation.
Established in 1998, the Siemens Foundation contributes nearly $4 million dollars annually in support of Math, Science and Technology education from grade school to graduate school. To learn more about the Siemens Foundation and their commitment to increasing student participation in math and science, visit them online at: www.siemens-foundation.org/.
Office Depot Foundation's National Backpack Program
The Office Depot Foundation National Backpack Program, now in its eighth year, represents one of the most meaningful ways in which the Foundation works to achieve its mission: Listen Learn Care. The backpack program supports one of the top priorities in the Foundation's "5 X 5 Program" – helping children get ready for life and for work.
The National Backpack Program provides new backpacks containing basic school supplies to low-income children whose families may not be able to obtain school materials themselves. Through the program, every Office Depot store in the USA and Canada donates backpacks to local non-profit organizations and schools. In addition, the Office Depot Foundation partners with a number of national non-profit organizations who distribute the backpacks through their own networks, and also hosts special backpack presentation events in more than two dozen cities.
In 2008, for the fourth consecutive year, 300,000 backpacks will be donated to non-profits, particularly charities focused on education, community investment and disaster relief and recovery. Since its inception, the Office Depot Foundation's National Backpack Program has given away nearly 1.8 million backpacks to deserving students.
Mary Wong, president of the Office Depot Foundation, believes that, "By placing backpacks containing essential school supplies into the hands of children, we feel we are giving them the important tools they need to start school with confidence."
In addition to the National Backpack Program, the Office Depot Foundation supports children and education by encouraging career-pathing programs, partnering with national non-profit organizations serving youngsters and families and making community-based grants.
Ford Expands Opportunities for Young People
The Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS) was launched in 2004 by the Ford Motor Company Fund in collaboration with Education Development Center, Inc. The program was developed as part of Ford Motor Company Fund's efforts to encourage high school students to pursue their education, and consequently build successful careers, in the areas of business, engineering, and technology.
Ford PAS is an academically rigorous program that links classroom learning with real-life-applicable challenges that students will face in postsecondary education and today's global workplace. The links are created through private and public partnerships namely between school districts and local colleges and businesses. Many of these partnerships are created with the goal of increasing the number of students pursuing math, science, engineering, and technology-related degrees in higher education. Because students work on real-world projects, they develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills, which are critcal for success in a global economy.
Through Ford PAS, students learn their academics through the context of business and begin to see the value of learning math, science and English language arts. They develop their 21st century workplace skills and begin to explore career opportunities that are available to them in a global economy.
Ford PAS is currently used in 1 50 sites across 23 states and has reached more than 20,000 students since it was formed. To learn more about Ford PAS, visit their website at http://www.fordpas.org/.
State Farm's Learning and Teaching Exchange™ Program
In 2001, through a series of forums on the challenges to recruiting, developing, and retaining quality teachers, State Farm, in partnership with teachers and administrators found that continuing professional development of teachers was the key to improving education. State Farm's response to these needs of educators was the development of the State Farm Learning and Teaching Exchange Program (SLATE™).
SLATE is a program which allows State Farm's employees to volunteer as state certified substitute teachers in classrooms while the full time teacher is participating in a professional development opportunity. Thus, the program helps alleviate two major problems that prevent professional development as identified by the schools, those being cost and availability of substitute teachers.
Named by Business Week's online magazine as one of the top ten best practices on ways to improve schools, the SLATE program is now in its sixth year and has more than 900 employees state-certified as substitute teachers. The Corporate program covers 185 schools in 54 districts in 7 counties and has recently expanded to allow retirees to participate. Additionally, the invitation to participate has been extended to the greater business community through a partnership with the local chamber of commerce.
Improving teacher excellence and student achievement are both economic and workforce issues. According to Kathy Payne, Director of Education Leadership at State Farm, "It's just good business for companies to support the continued development of teachers, who shape the future through our children."
The program does not compete with full time substitute teachers because the use of SLATE volunteers is limited to prearranged professional development opportunities for teachers. All State Farm employees are provided an Education Support day benefit, and they may use this day to teach under SLATE. Approximately 100 of the corporate SLATE volunteers have chosen to use personal time, or vacation time, in addition to their Education Support Day, to substitute as a SLATE volunteer.
KPMG LLP – A Leader in Work/Life Balance
KPMG LLP is one of the leading corporate advocates for workplace flexibility. The company estimates that more than 50 percent of its employees take advantage of some form of flexible work polices. And, these practices are not just in place in the U.S. A recent study by the consulting firm Managing Work Life Balance International found KPMG to be among the best places to work in Australia, as well.
One of the big four accounting firms, KPMG LLP has been offering a variety of flexible work arrangements at numerous sites across the U.S. for years. After conducting an environmental assessment in 1999 and 2000 to better understand employee perceptions about career opportunities and potential work/life barriers, KPMG LLP established the Work Environment Initiative. This initiative includes a number of programs built around workplace flexibility, career development and mentoring, employee wellness, diversity and community involvement. For flexibility, KPMG LLP offers full-time work options such as compressed workweeks, flextime, and telecommuting, along with part-time work options such as job sharing and phased return from leave. The Work Environment Initiative is driven by an executive council and implemented by 19 local action councils around the country. Local action council members are tasked with assessing the workplace climate; encouraging employees to share ideas; and ensuring that relevant work/life information generated by KPMG LLP's leadership is shared with everyone on a local level.
In 2004, ICW, along with the Families and Work Institute and the Twiga Foundation introduced When Work Works, a one-of-a-kind national education and recognition program honoring companies that have successfully used flexibility to meet both employer and employee goals. The initiative features the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. KPMG LLP has shown its support for both workplace flexibility practices as well as the award program itself by applying and winning a Sloan Award in six different communities, more than any other company.
IBM's Transition to Teaching Program
Since 1994, IBM has been doing work in school reform through Reinventing Education, the company's flagship program. Similarly, through On Demand Community, IBM has organized tens of thousands of employees to donate hours of community service. Transition to Teaching is an extension of this impressive effort to improve education, but with a very different method.
Transition to Teaching (T2T) is a program which allows qualified IBM employees to become fully accredited teachers in their respective communities while still working for the company. Under T2T, IBM reimburses participants up to $15,000 which can be used for coursework and stipends to support them during a leave of absence for student teaching. Strong partnerships with colleges, universities and school districts are key to the success of the program. A web-based virtual learning community connects participants with mentor teachers and one another in order to share best practices. Program requirements include 10 or more years employment with IBM, a degree in math or science or a related field, a history of volunteering with schools and management approval.
"Many of our experienced employees have math and science backgrounds and have made it clear that when they are ready to leave IBM they aren't ready to stop contributing," says Stanley Litow, president of the IBM International Foundation and vice president of IBM Corporate Community Relations.
These soon-to-be math, science and computer science teachers are greatly needed in American public schools. T2T is helping address our nation's critical shortage of STEM teachers by making use of IBM's most experienced employee's backgrounds and passion for math and science. Roughly 100 IBM employees are participating in or have graduated from Transition to Teaching. IBM is hoping that its example will inspire other corporations to create similar programs for their employees to benefit their own communities. The Company has already announced additional Transitions Initiatives for government and not for profits to launch in 2008.
GlaxoSmithKline's Promotes Science in the Summer
For more than 20 years, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been helping children in the Greater Philadelphia region get excited about studying science with the Science in the Summer free educational program.
A goal for GSK is to prepare students for the challenges of today's scientific work and education. Science in the Summer is just one small part of that big picture, but to almost 6,000 elementary school children who will participate in this year's program, it's a much greater opportunity.
Science in the Summer offers five different courses to children. As a collaborative partnership, GSK sponsors the program, the American Association for the Advancement of Science administers the program, and Philadelphia-area libraries provide the location. More than 140 local libraries will participate this year in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. The 2007 program will offer Chemistry, Simple Machines, Physical Science/Electricity, Oceanography, and Genetics courses, respectively, taught by certified teachers to second through sixth graders. The Genetics course in Philadelphia, new to the 2007 program, will feature investigations of chromosomes, genes, and DNA.
GSK's Science in the Summer imitative was created to foster a life-long appreciation of learning through hands-on experiments that open young minds to the field of science. "Programs that encourage children's interest in science are important to GSK," comments Mary Linda Andrews, Director, Community Partnerships. "Science in the Summer provides children with a high quality, investigative science curriculum. Through hands-on science experiments, students are encouraged to begin to develop higher-order thinking skills - the very skills that will stay with them throughout their lives." With almost 86,000 Philadelphia-area participants since the program's inception, it can be said that GSK is doing just that.
CVS/pharmacy Introduces One Million Inner-City and Rural Youths to Careers in Pharmacy
This spring, CVS/pharmacy announced the company's new Pathways to Pharmacy program, which aims to introduce one million inner-city and rural youth to careers in pharmacy. With this commitment, CVS/pharmacy will provide youth job opportunities generating up to $4 million in wages by 2010.
CVS/pharmacy hopes to make a pharmacy career more accessible to disadvantaged students, especially since the road to becoming a pharmacist entails at least six years of focused undergraduate and graduate study. Meanwhile, with the retiring of many current pharmacists slated for the next decade, and with growing pharmaceutical needs nationwide, CVS/pharmacy is taking a proactive step to help educate the next generation of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Pathways to Pharmacy will launch in a number of new cities this summer, including Providence, RI; Los Angeles, CA; New Orleans, LA; Miami, FL; and Chicago, IL. Following their paid internships, students will be eligible to continue working at CVS/pharmacy and work toward a national certification to become a pharmacy technician. CVS/pharmacy also offers various training and funding opportunities to help its employees progress in their pharmacy careers to become pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.
This summer CVS/pharmacy's Pathways to Pharmacy will have over 2,000 inner city and rural students participating in the summer internship. These students are recommended by their science and math teachers. They go through a rigorous interview process and they must submit a cover letter, two letters of recommendations, and their resume. "This program gives CVS/pharmacy a competitive advantage in the market place", says Stephen Wing, director of government programs. He went on to say, "Several years ago there was a book written called Blue Ocean Strategies. It talks about how companies look for competitive advantages or [a] 'Blue Ocean'. Our Pathways program puts us in the blue ocean arena."
Since the inception of the program in 2001, two students have graduated from pharmacy school. Many more are in the pipeline and on their way to getting their degree in pharmacy.
Digital Literacy a Must in Michigan
Microsoft Partners to Create Online Learning Curriculum
In 2006, the State of Michigan became the first state in the nation to require all students to take an online course or have an online learning experience in order to graduate from high school. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm announced that the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) "will help ensure that every student in Michigan is prepared for college or technical training when they finish high school." And the business community couldn't be in more need, as a growing proportion of U.S. jobs require at least a basic level of digital literacy, with many of the best jobs demanding even stronger digital skills.
This February, Microsoft's U.S. Partners in Learning program worked in close partnership with the Michigan Department of Education to develop a free online course for students in Michigan called CareerForward. CareerForward is designed to help students learn about the world of work and gain experience with online resources, while at the same time satisfying the new high school graduation requirement for online learning. "Microsoft is thrilled to continue to provide support for these technology initiatives that will help Michigan schools advance their education goals and meet the needs of their students, teachers, and future workforce," said Linda Zecher, Vice President of Microsoft U.S. Public Sector. "By helping defray the costs associated with developing online curricula and tools, we hope to empower students with a modern academic environment and enable them to advance their education with a positive online-learning experience."
CareerForward can be used in any classroom or district across the country. Learn more online.
Ernst & Young Helping to Transform Public Education
Ernst & Young LLP has been voted one of the best companies to work for by Fortune Magazine for nine years in a row, largely due to its strong tradition of community engagement and support for volunteerism. Over the past few years, the company has built a mentoring program with Adlai E. Stevenson High School in New York City that pairs students and Ernst & Young volunteers in a mentoring relationship that lasts a student's entire high school career. The extraordinary commitment has resulted in 90% of Ernst & Young-mentored students completing high school.
In an effort to explore the landscape of corporate engagement in education reform, on May 2nd, Ernst & Young will conduct a webcast in conjunction with the release of a new report "How Top Corporations Can Help Transform Public Education." The report highlights successful corporate programs, including IBM's Transition to Teaching, that have experience helping to turn around the most intractable problems in education.
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