During DirectEmployers’ Annual Meeting in Vegas, this year, our keynote speaker Alexis Herman spoke about cultivating our youth and creating talent locally by guiding local curriculum and working directly with local government and education leaders.

Now this seems like good old fashioned common sense, I mean if you have a supplier (education system) who isn’t providing the product (talent) to your specifications (skill sets) you meet with them and lay out your needs (curriculum). If the vendor wants your business they provide the product with your specifications and maybe even provide it to your competitors. The product becomes more marketable inside and outside the local community all due to a better understanding of what EXACTLY is needed.

Here’s the catch… If the supplier doesn’t know exactly what you need, HOW CAN THEY PROVIDE IT?!?

Which begs many questions, but I’ll ask just one… For starters, have you opened the lines of communication to your local Junior High, High School, Vocational School, and College leadership to ensure they know your ever-changing specifications?

- original post -