More than two years ago, The Conference Board, a major international business research organization, issued a report called "Ready To Innovate: Are Educators and Executives Aligned on the Creative Readiness of the U.S. Workforce?"
The report was the first time that the vital link to a creative and innovative economy was made clear, and the road to America's success and survival was spelled out for all to see -- particularly in the business community.
In summary, the report asked three questions:
"Are U.S. businesses and K-12 school systems making the link between creative skill sets in the workforce and innovation? Are businesses finding the creative talent they need to generate the innovative solutions and products demanded by the marketplace? And what efforts are both of these groups making to train employees in the needed creative skills?"
The survey revealed that "both the superintendents who educate future workers and the employers who hire them agree that creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces (99 percent and 97 percent, respectively), and that arts-training -- and, to a lesser degree, communications studies -- are crucial to developing creativity.
Yet, there is a gap between understanding this truth and putting it into meaningful practice. Our findings indicate that most high schools and employers provide such training and studies only on an elective or 'as needed' basis."
It also found that "when the discussion turns to instilling creativity in the workforce, the conversation often begins and ends with education...new curricular and teaching approaches are needed...(and) the results from our survey suggest that this responsibility should in fact be shared broadly -- by educators, employers, and other interested individuals."
Because of the worldwide spread of technology -- particularly the Internet -- and the globalization of markets, it is a new ballgame. As Business Week Magazine said almost six years ago: "The game is changing. It isn't just about math and science anymore. It's about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation."
The fact is, most of the manufacturing jobs were lost over the last 20 years. Now with globalization in full bloom, America is beginning to see the outlines of yet another out-migration of American jobs. Unlike the earlier shift of manufacturing jobs to less developed East Asian countries, the loss of the latest round of high-tech software and service jobs will have dramatic, some say devastating, impacts on America's economic wealth and well-being.
Twenty years ago, it was fashionable to blame foreign competition and cheap labor markets abroad for the loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States, but the pain of the loss was softened by the emergence of a new services industry. Now, it is the service sector jobs that are being lost. This shift of high tech service jobs will be a permanent feature of economic life in the 21st century.
Today, the demand for creativity has outpaced our nation's ability to create enough workers simply to meet our needs. Our schools and our businesses need to rethink the needs of the nation, and rethink the important roles of creativity and innovation.
Are we ready to innovate as the Conference Board asks?
Frankly, I have been following these issues for several years -- more acutely lately. I have seen some action and heard some concerns but, as they say, the jury is still out. I guess I am one of those "glass-is-half-full" guys and am guardedly optimistic.
Follow John M. Eger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeger62
Creative and innovative ideas also get stifled because any profit is possibly years down the road, yet the cost would be here and now, which would affect the bonuses. Many times it comes right back around to the pandering to the financial sector for the demand for constant growth in profits NOW.
Again, it's the effects of the oversized, out of control financial markets on businesses.
Sorry, my friend. When companies start paying their fair share of taxes and not shelter the bulk of their revenues offshore, perhaps then we can have a conversation. Until then, I suggest the corporations of this world stop paying obscene compensation packages to their executives and start re-investing in their people.
So why aren’t we all creative as adults? Schooling and management practice have made it unacceptable!
We pre-figure our experiences by the very beliefs and values we enact. We enfold beliefs about us when designing our institutions (e.g. economic, educational) and correlatively our life unfolds consistent with what has been enfolded. People therefore structure their life to be consistent with what is largely advanced by society—we all want to fit in.
Unfortunately, most are unheedful as they charge ahead in pursuit of what’s in it for 'Me', erroneously believing that the answer to why is to accumulate material wealth, or to prepare young people to be cogs in the economic machine. When everything is about efficient use of resources to maximize material gain, being creative—which is inherently far less efficient—is something we can’t afford.
We all have the ability for: higher-level thinking (e.g. creative thinking); higher levels of learning (e.g. learning to improve learning); and thinking beyond the moment. If we wish care and concern for others and creativity to unfold—to be the prevalent way-of-being—then we ought to enfold it into our economic and educational systems.
http://www.forprogressnotgrowth.com/2010/11/04/enfold-and-unfold/
http://www.forprogressnotgrowth.com/2010/10/08/educating-management/
http://www.forprogressnotgrowth.com/2010/09/20/potential-actualized/
Corporations want trained slaves, straw dolls to be exalted when they make the company money and disgarded when their usefullness is done.
That is not going to build our nation.
Creativity, innovation, out of the box thinking is what is going to bring our country back, not corp America in our educational system.