EDITOR'S NOTE

We never stop learning

In the business world, a person's education does not end at the time of graduation from school, at least if that person expects to be flexible, able to deal with change and, most of all, successful.

Learning and training today are just as much a part of our career experience as they are of our formal education.

As part of the changes that have taken place, colleges are being drawn into the process of shaping courses that will provide graduates with the skills that would be the best fit with the needs of Seacoast and New Hampshire businesses.

At the Pease Tradeport, six schools formed a collaborative and commissioned a survey of 32 companies to learn, among other things, what skills are most valuable to them. The findings are still being reviewed.

Professor John Burtt, chairman of the Department of Business and Computer Technologies for the New Hampshire Community Technical College, talks about some of the programs being offered (see story), including noncredit courses geared toward a specific need.

Then, of course, numerous state colleges offer master's in business degrees.

But educators will tell you that it's literally a different world out there, and one which New Hampshire and Maine schools need to recognize and for which their students need to be prepared. (See story.)

Will Arvelo, the new president of the New Hampshire Community Technical College, said, "What we are lacking is a really broad understanding of the world, of the economic environment we live in. We need to do a better job to help them prepare and understand that we're in this thing (globalization) and we're no longer numero uno. We'd better prepare for it."

The region seems to be blessed and cursed at the same time.

Businesses with well-paying jobs are located and, in some fields, are growing in the area. But some of those jobs require specific skills and training. That's good news.

The bad is that too many students who graduate from New Hampshire colleges don't stay and work in the state.

Both New Hampshire and Maine are looking at ways to stop the outward migration of college graduates.

On the other end of the age and experience spectrum, businesses need to decide what to do about baby boomers who are ready to retire or feel the time is right to "try something else." (See story.)

According to the AARP, "by 2014, nearly one-third of the total U.S. work force (32 percent) will be age 50 or older, up from 27 percent in 2005. As the proportion of younger workers continues to decline, attracting and retaining the mature, experienced worker will become increasingly critical for employers who seek to retain a competitive edge in today's marketplace."

Janet Tucker, a career counselor for all ages in Exeter, said, "Employers need to be thinking about creative ways to keep their older employees connected or they are going to be short employees. They are going to wake up and discover they've lost a lot of good people and they don't have the population coming behind them to make good replacements."

For their part, according to J.T. O'Donnell, a career development specialist with J.T. O'Donnell Career Insights in North Hampton, baby boomers have been working for years toward meeting deadlines and making a profit and therefore hardly any time has been spent mentoring. Now they are surprised when they are preparing to retire and "are hearing crickets and not seeing anyone who can take their place."

Some of the other interesting people featured in this month's Ventures include:

Reach CAL KILLEEN via e-mail or 570-2243.