Lose the Weight or Don't Graduate

A compelling educational initiative - will this turn into an educational trend?

Historically black college in Pennsylvania, Lincoln University is making news today because of it's unique graduation requirements that are being challenged.

What are they? For one you have to reduce your bmi (that is body mass index) to an acceptable level before you graduate, in addition to attending mandatory nutrition and health courses.

One school official James Deboy explained that the initial motivation for this policy was the concern for the health of its student population and the overall social challenge with weight and it's related illnesses within the African American community. The school's desire was to constructively contribute to combating this epidemic.

Though admirable, I wonder if this is a fundamental violation of civil rights.
What do you think?

To learn more and read some of the student reactions click this link.

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A Significant Business Trend - Brain Drain Back Home

Recently I posted information about the business trend and education trend of an uneducated workforce.
You can read that post here:

Couple that with this reported trend of foreign-born graduates returning to their home country and you have to wonder where our country's competitiveness will be in the next few years.

Additionally what is disturbing from this report is that many of our kids are not interested in subjects that appear to be "hard." What?!!!

We have to ask ourselves why 50% of our math and science graduates are foreign born! What about kids raised in the U.S.? Do we need better math and science teachers who teach in a way that generate and stir genuine interest and continued curiosity?

Additionally, we have to consider how our parenting around education is impacting this trend. There is a ripple effect!

Now some of you reading this post might think, "Well with the constriction of the economy, those leaving the country will help bolster native born employment. Perhaps, and that certainly is good. However, those now in the employment pool need to be as qualified for our companies to thrive and compete globally.

The trends report follows below:

Herman Trend Alert: US Brain Drain

More than 50 percent of the science graduate students in the United States are
foreign-born. Due to a lack of emphasis on the STEM (Science, Engineering,
Technology, and Math) subjects and the fear that the curricula will be too
challenging, native-born students have passed up these post-college options.
Filling the void have been the foreign-born for whom a US graduate degree was
and is a meaningful ticket to a prosperous future.

A trend we forecast numerous times is now official: Within the next five years,
hundreds of thousands Chinese and Indian immigrants who in the past would have
stayed and worked for US companies will go home permanently. This history-making
trend was recently revealed in a recently released study, Professor Vivek Wadhwa
of Duke University. The Brain Drain is already affecting US companies and will
have increasingly devastating consequences.

There are several reasons why this homecoming is taking place. First, there are
increasing job opportunities for them at home. In the last two years, the
economies in India and China both grew much faster that the US. Not only are
they welcomed with open arms, but because they have studied abroad, they have a
better understanding of how to do business in the US. China even offers
financial assistance and housing incentives to lure skilled workers home.

Second, because the Asian cultures are so different from those of the US, there
is a strong comfort factor that is missing for workers choosing to stay. They
miss their loved ones and rarely enjoy the same support systems.

Finally, US immigration laws and attitudes (fueled by 9/11 and recent economic
challenges) discourage immigrants from staying. The now long and arduous process
of obtaining one of the relatively few H1B visas or applying for green card
status dishearten even the most enthusiastic. Though Wadhwa only studied
students from Asian countries, the same situations apply to graduate students
from South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

The good news is that we believe that once the US economy really recovers, the
rate of departure will slow somewhat; however the cultural and home economic
factors will remain.


Source: Herman Trend Alerts are written by Joyce Gioia, a strategic
business futurist, Certified Management Consultant, author, and
professional speaker. Archived editions are posted at http://www.hermangroup.com/archive.html

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An Updated View of Workforce Readiness

If you are in the business of employee training and development, corporate training, or education and training then this is a MUST READ post.

According to the article associated with the link to follow, our incoming workforce will not be adequately equipped to deal with the needs of the 21 century workplace and economy. This is an alarming educational trend and business trend!

Here is the link - go here.

This information presents all sorts of potential challenges. Consider the following areas:
1. how will we hire differently?
2. how will we provide ongoing education and development of current employees that meet these needs?
3. what kind of learning will be offered?
4. what extra pressure and stresses will be put on managers?
5. how will that impact management trends?
6. how will company competition and profitability be effected?

Phew...and that is just off the top of my head. Bottom line, training and developing employees I suspect will be more enhanced, take on a greater role and will require more committed funding than ever before and where one use to consider employee training and development an option or necessary evil in the corporate budget, that will no longer be an option!

I recommend that you read the complete article and consider it's impact from where you sit.
If you'd like to talk it through with a training professional, don't hesitate to contact me via my site: www.joanncorley.com