Inquiring Fresh Minds Want to Know

In almost every strategy session I facilitate with organization leadership, inevitably the topic of workforce development is raised. Where will the next generation of those who choose our industry as their profession come from? How do we raise awareness about our industry now? How early should we be looking to connect? Grad school? College? High school? Earlier?

If your association has ever had these conversation, this may be a moment of amazing opportunity. For the next bit of time, our educational k-12 system has shifted from minute-to-minute scheduled course work and schedules navigated by teaching professionals (and I would say heroes, frankly) in schools to parents trying to work remotely while guiding their children’s learning, and staying indoors/isolated as much as possible.

So think about that – you have a captive audience of today’s youth/tomorrow’s workforce with the attention of those who are helping to structure their time (and care about them) looking for engaging resources to meaningfully fill the time. This is a moment to ask – who are the rockstars of our profession and what could they do virtually that would connect to these students? You can’t tell me that after daily doodling with Mo Willems that some aren’t going to be inspired to deepen their desire to draw and author.

Or that, hearing structured debate on Smash Boom Best, that we won’t see a new generation of young debaters – and perhaps lawyers.

This is (hopefully) a limited period of time of great opportunity – thinking about the industry you represent, is there a regular, virtual learning/activity/place of engagement you can provide for today’s youth? I am waiting for the organization of astrophysicists to have Neil DeGrasse Tyson come out with StarTalk for Kids.

And who doesn't love experiments? Growing our next generation of chemists...

For our culinary organizations – lunch-time quick 'cook with me' segments with celebrity chefs?

Now is the time to shift our conversation from how we build industry awareness in the youth to actually doing it. Run national contests! Give assignments, ask for virtual submissions, and recognize ingenuity and innovation in our youth! Be engaging, speak the language of your audience, keep it positive – and garner the gratitude of parents nationwide who suddenly can fill another 20 minutes of their child’s day with a meaningful interaction.