Business - Dave Gallagher

POSTED: Sunday, May. 24, 2009

Business leaders, educators work on investing for future

In today's put-out-fires economic climate, it's good to see business leaders and educators are still thinking about investing in the future.

Last week 90 people attended the sixth annual Business-Education partnership meeting, organized by Whatcom Tech Prep Consortium and held at Whatcom Community College. The event is an attempt to find ways for local colleges, school districts and businesses to work together to make sure students are prepared for life after high school, whether it's to go on to college or join the workforce.

The event has a few presentations and Washington State Superintendent Randy Dorn was the keynote speaker this year, talking about the importance for students to have an education and training in order to get into a career that fits their skills.

What seemed particularly productive to me was the discussion among the participants. Director Linda Cowan purposely arranged seating so each table had a mix of educators and business people talking about the challenges each side sees these days.

This type of setup quickly showed some different perspectives on what's challenging about business/education partnerships.

At the table where I sat, the business leaders expressed frustration about how inflexible the education system can be when it comes to new ideas and how hard it is to get an idea to the right person. Educators, who are dealing with shrinking budgets while making sure students pass even more requirements to graduate, expressed skepticism that businesses can follow through and turn ideas into actions. The teachers have to maximize the time they have with students.

When the discussion was opened up across the room, it seemed similar thoughts were being discussed at other tables. It led to a discussion about how school systems can be more flexible - ideas included adjusting school hours, developing a database of contacts so business leaders can find the right person to talk to and becoming more open to innovation. Business leaders were asked to consider developing ideas that are sustainable and creating career paths that are clear to the education system.

Getting the challenges out there as well as suggestions is productive because it gives Cowan and others in the Tech Prep Consortium something to build on. The Consortium is also tied to the Career and Technical Education program, which provides opportunities for students to apply what they've learned in relevant, real-world situations and link them to careers.

For details about the local tech prep program, visit whatcomtechprep.org. To learn more about the consortium, call Cowan at 752-8458.