New Ideas

1. Review posts from your colleagues for the Innovative Challenge in Lesson #1. Answer the following:

Which ideas did you like and why?

I really liked one of Rudy’s ideas about getting more of our participants trained to fill technology-related jobs. In one of the links to an article that Rudy sent, “President Obama Launches TechHire,” it was noted that:

“The United States has about 5 million open jobs today….. Over half a million of those job openings are in information technology (IT) fields - like software development, network administration, user-interface design and cybersecurity – many of which did not even exist just a decade ago. The average salary in a job that requires IT skills….is 50 percent higher than the average private-sector American job."

Based on the excerpt above, it’s obvious to me why it makes a lot of sense to explore this further: 1) the number of employment opportunities are incredible (half a million job openings!) 2) the possibilities for financial security, career growth and socioeconomic advancement cannot be ignored.

Are there any ideas you could build on to help you stay ahead of the curve in your practice area?

The other, equally important, reason I was impressed with the article “President Obama Launches TechHire,” was its attention to providing significant financial resources and training opportunities for traditionally underserved groups, as noted here:

“…..The Administration will launch a $100 million H-1B grant competition by the Department of Labor to support innovative approaches to training and successfully employing individuals who face barriers to training and employment, including those with child care responsibilities, people with disabilities, disconnected youth, and limited English proficient workers, among others. This grant competition will support the growth of evidence-based strategies such as accelerated learning, work-based learning, and Registered Apprenticeships.”

This is a resource I would like to examine further and it seems as if it’d be an excellent opportunity for us to stay ahead of the curve in innovative workforce development…. AND workforce advancement.

2. Thinking about innovation more broadly at Fedcap, post a response to one of the two following questions:

What role does "product development" play at Fedcap? For example, GetReady! has been an effective web-based tool. Are there other tools to develop?

Actually I thought I might respond to this question a bit differently. In the assigned article, “Eight Pillars of Innovation,” one key point that was discussed was a concept referred to as the “classic innovator’s dilemma,” which seeks to consider: Should we invest in brand new products or should we improve existing ones? The easy answer is probably both. But I’d like to take a moment to consider the latter: should we improve upon existing tools?

When I took a look at the GetReady! website I thought it was a great tool to prepare young people for higher education and the world of work. Then I wondered: how are we getting this resource out there? How come it is not accessible on Fedcap’s main website? Who or what key groups have we partnered with to help spread the word? What role does social media play in creating networks of support, especially since this is geared for young people? How can we better market this tool? More people should know about it!

So in this spirit, I think if we ask the right questions, as highlighted in the assigned video clips, we might surprise ourselves with some interesting answers. If there are improvements in one area of innovation, it can potentially lead to greater innovations that reach an even broader audience!