SCHOOL TO WORK TRANSITION Ideas

Evangeline M. Clemente 13 August 2013

Empathy Map

School To Work

“What’s your family name?... What does your family do?....

Who do you know?... Where did you study?...

What good will you give your community, the environment?...-

OUTSIDE THE FAMILY

“Education is the key to success…Just finish college… Make sure you have work before you settle

down…You carry our name, make us proud… I work hard for your future, for your education… Make a big

impact… We are a family of x profession, you must not break from tradition… We want you to be

fulfilled…” – THE PARENTS

“I want to be somebody… I want to do what I want…OR I

don’t know what I want, I don’t know what I should do? I want to be happy… I want to be successful… I want to make my own mark… Can’t we take

shortcuts?...” – THE CHILD/ STUDENT

WHAT THEY SAY*

(based on a small sample of interviewees)

Defining the Problem

School To Work

Can one really create the impact we need considering societal norms?-

OUTSIDE THE FAMILY

We want you to succeed and do better than we did. – THE PARENTS

I want to imprint impact at better ways/pace than usual.

– THE CHILD/STUDENT

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

Defining the Problem

School To Work

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

• set industry-specific functional competency

requirements

• at least high school graduate for most

minimum wage jobs

• good academic performance or graduating from premier universities

almost always equal a well-paying job

LOCAL EDUCATION SYSTEM AND CONDITIONS

• There are laws and rules set by government for implementation and completion of grade school to advanced

studies.

• Not all public/private schools have sufficient and appropriate tools, facilities, equipment.

• The poor has limited access to quality

education.

• Are local education programs responsive to

local/global needs?

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS*

(limited view)

Problem Statement Among students and society, in general, there is a common desire to ensure delivery of accelerated, maximum, positive

impact from the school-to-work cycle.

However, the current education systems, which are enabled by laws, and employment requirements forces a significant degree of adherence to related, established requirements. While such requirements may be deemed as enablers, they

can also be viewed as anticatalysts.

Correspondingly, it would be worthwhile to look for improvements in the school-to-work cycle considering

cultural and behavioral aspects, the global/local educational frameworks and known employment routes or venues.

IDEAS

School To Work

1. Work part time, start as early as possible

2. Do volunteer work

3. Enhance skills by enrolling in special courses

4. Commit to help at least 3 people everyday

5. Network with people of similar interest

6. Start a group and rally for your cause

7. Influence classmates and teachers

8. Demonstrate to parents how you will succeed

9. Publish your initiatives

10. Keep updated with trends, learn and contribute

11. Reach out to those in need

12. List out what you should do, target timelines, do it and monitor

13. Apply for apprenticeship

14. Start your own business

15. Create and sell your own craft

I want to imprint impact at better ways/pace than usual.

– THE CHILD/STUDENT

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

IDEAS

School To Work

16. Create a recognition program for novel actions with big impacts

17. Publish needs and seek solutions

18. Demonstrate and praise unconventional approaches

19. Expand success metrics – not limited to graduating from college and earning x amount of money

Can one really create the impact we need considering societal norms?- OUTSIDE

THE FAMILY

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

IDEAS

School To Work

20. Partner with your children on assignments

21. Partner with your children in business

22. Expose children to various interests

23. Help children define their strengths and how they can use it to create impact

24. Teach kids to dream big and stay motivated

25. Develop your children’s mental and social skills

26. Expose your children to your social network

27. Introduce children to inspirational people, stories and creations

28. Help your children create their life’s road maps

29. Teach children to be persistent and flexible with age-appropriate exercises

30. Teach kids to invest and grow money

31. Teach children to invest in, value and respect relationships by modelling and appropriate exposure

32. Learn with other parents on best practices

33. Learn with other parents on how to help children reach their full potential

34. Find a learning activity with your children everyday and make sure that these events are fun-filled

35. Share your experiences and learn from others

We want you to succeed and do better than we did. – THE

PARENTS

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

IDEAS

School To Work

36. Actively review impacts of current programs and recalibrate as necessary

37. Change laws

38. Make quality education accessible to all income levels

39. Improve incentives for those who teach

40. Make models of good educators, publish their stories and motivations

41. Improve educational facilities

42. Establish inter-governmental partnerships for improving quality and access to educations

43. Cut bureaucracy and corruption in the education system

44. Make sure that education officials are good and passionate about improving knowledge and creating positive impact

45. Make sure curriculums go beyond the usual topics, include new developments, new needs locally and internationally

46. Actively define how supply of good talent can be secured through the education program and matching with employers needs

Local Educational System and Conditions (see page 4

for reference)

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

IDEAS

School To Work

47. Look beyond the grades, physical attributes, names of applicants

48. Give newbies special projects they can do themselves to prove they’re good and can contribute

49. Sponsor idea and solution generation programs

50. Work with governments to improve the education system and facilities as well as employment criteria

51. Define internal success pathways for new employees

52. Create programs to spark employee creativity and innovation

53. Reward employees for impact

54. Give second chances

55. Reward team work

Employment requirements (see page 4 as reference)

UNDERLYING CONCERNS/MESSAGES

Best 3

1. (For the Student/Child) Work part time, start as early as possible.

I think that early exposure to the work environment will be good as this will expose the student/child to true work environments and how working will be. This will open their eyes on how employers, work systems and customers interact and influence businesses and lives. This will also help them realize early what they can do and what they want to be. In that way, they can define early and plan for their future.

2. (For the Parents) Help children create their life’s road maps.

In this fast changing world, I think that parents must be more active in teaching and guiding their children. Road maps will help the student/child to define needs, plan, act, be flexible, succeed. Road maps need not be taught only in the board rooms of corporations; it can be a live map that the student/child can update with parents’ help.

3. (For Employers) Give newbies special projects they can do themselves to prove they’re good and can contribute.

The first months of a newbie is his/her learning curve. Wouldn’t it be great if they not only learn the ropes but also immediately contribute by authoring a project that will benefit the organization? It will strengthen confidence and commitment and enhance value in an organization.

Thank you!

Evangeline M. Clemente