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Employer Quotes

The quotes below are from employers in this industry: Information Technology (IT)

They are talking about this topic: Educational Partnerships

 

The quotes below are about this issue:
Many respondents are already partnering with educational institutions (through advisory boards and other committees) to develop and modify curricula. They emphasize the importance of this ongoing communication since the industry is continuously evolving.

Employer Quote Region
"Employer: Technology changes from year to year. So, you need to have students with soft skills, and they have to be technical, and they have to do this and that, and they have to do it all within four years with a shrinking budget. So, it's the impossible, right? You need to have help from business. And I think it needs to be more hands-on. The business needs to be more involved, to offer more internships, to offer more part-time jobs to help the educators build that future workforce. I think this is a good start.

Question: Okay, so more hands-on. More of a constant relationship between the institution...

Employer: Collaborative.

Question: Yeah, constant collaboration."
Metro
"Employer 1: So back to your original question, things like this discussion group and getting involved with Minnesota High Tech Association. You know, just getting exposure. Especially bringing in a lot of C level, you know? The people who are trying to take their companies to the next level are thinking, 'Okay, where can I take my company in five years?' Asking that question of people who are trying to evolve their company. Because that's where you are going to start to get a well-rounded perspective of what they expect to see in their market in five years. And that can help shape what you are looking for.

Question: So, having an advisory committee of IT people might help a little bit. But if you had an advisory committee with the CEO, then that's a different perspective that they probably need as well?

Employer 1: Right. Some of the leadership about where they see the company going. It's just going to round the perspective out more.

Employer 2: And I think it actually needs to be more hands-on than that. I think you educators are in a bad spot. You have been asked to do the impossible."
Metro
"Employer: I think some of the advisory groups that we have put together at universities have been good as long as the professors are open to actually looking at what the industry is doing.

Question: And how able are they to take your advice?

Employer: Some are, some aren't."
Metro
"Employer: Junior colleges and two-year technical colleges. Numbers would have been extremely helpful. Coming to our facilities, talking to us, developing a program just for us, including a particular curriculum, or making us aware. I think that would be very helpful for us.

Question: So, coming specifically to your business, your facility, and...?

Employer: That's right, that's right. And we've had a number of [lost in translation]. That has been quite helpful in all of the technical colleges, the additional resources that they teamed-up in a number of cases. And that's very—I mean, we wouldn't expect some college to design a good program just for us. But somebody else has a curriculum that's working, and then we get those working together so that we don't have to have our prospects running all over the state to take their training and bring it back someplace with one school name on it.

Question: And they have been able to do that?

Employer: No, they are working on that. They are trying."
Metro
"Continuing these conversations will help those programs as well." Metro
"For the purpose of this, which was really talking about undergraduates, I think this was a good discussion. A continuing discussion would be graduates [lost in translation] because now you have a workforce that has been out there for three, four, or five years beyond graduation, and now what?" Metro
"I work on the MIS curriculum board. And they bring in a diverse group of individuals that meet on a quarterly basis. And we talk about other topics that are relevant to the MIS curriculum at [non-MnSCU college]. But the number one thing that we are responsible for is helping the school to drive the curriculum from year to year. So, for example, there's a huge need in the marketplace for SAP experience. We've kind of—the schools are putting together a program that is going to be focused on ERP packages on the part of SAP—and we brought these ideas to the board. And we are helping to derive input on that course that they are going to be offering. So, they got people who are coming in it with a diverse group of companies represented, and they want a curriculum by us from year to year. So, right now, we are talking about next year's curriculum and the following year's curriculum.

Question: So that's to keep the curriculum relevant to the industry?

Right."
Metro
"Employer: I think this is being done by having groups from the industry help develop curriculum, or at least see what the curriculum is. So, they have somebody's input at the curriculum level.

Question: So, actually ask the industry what should be in the curriculum?

Employer: And that's being done, not every place, but that's helpful."
Northeast
"We'd like to keep that talent local. And the idea was to try and create a better awareness and communication between the business community and the university and the technical college." Northwest
"I think two-year and four-year curriculums—it's important to know what businesses need and what they expect from us." Southwest
"We have pretty good relationships with our local schools." Southwest
"They'll have professors come in and just kind of show us some of the things that they're doing. It's a nice way for the faculty to stay in touch with us." Southwest
"I'm on an advisory board and we talk about issues." Southwest
"I think also sort of going to [lost in translation] and curriculum committees. Certainly, we've found that to be helpful—when schools are looking at their curriculums to be involved in that process with them." Southwest
"We need to be building relationships and meeting face-to-face." Southwest
"I am on the education committee of Minnesota Telecom Alliance. So, I am involved in that now. We have an interaction I guess you could say." Southwest