Matching Skills and Education to the Demands of the 21st Century Workplace
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espite the surging economy and record low unemployment rates, there are still groups of Americans finding it difficult to restart their lives after a tour of duty or career in the military or having been recently released from prison as non-violent offenders. What began as a challenge in the 1980’s to help high school students with their career choices if they were not college bound, has expanded into a comprehensive national initiative to help other groups in need as well. A single phone call in 1982 to the Superintendent of Schools in the District of Columbia offering direction to non-collegebound high school students has become the genesis for a project that drills down on one of the major problems facing
people of all ages and backgrounds in America. It can be summed up in a single question . . . What type of training or education to match your background, interests and ability to finance should you pursue to provide a comfortable and secure lifestyle for yourself and your family? A generation ago, success was measured in one’s ability to acquire a college education. It was commonly accepted as the best way to provide a comfortable future. Today, many college
graduates find themselves deep in debt and earning less than many non-college graduates who pursued technical or vocational careers with little or no out-of-pocket costs to them. A college degree is still greatly desired but it is no longer a guarantee of financial success and stability.
HirEducation – Delaware will be the first of a number of workshops/seminars/tradeshows that will educate and inform thousands of jobseekers about career opportunities in areas that did not exist when their parents entered the workforce. And, it will offer a path to financial security and independence without the burden of student loans. Job openings are everywhere. HirEducation will show you how to prepare for them and how to find them.
Help for Veterans and Non-Violent Offenders Recently Released from Prison
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eturning veterans, and those recently retired from the military and in need of meaningful work, overwhelmingly lack the confidence to apply for high-paying jobs with great career options because they wrongly believe that their military training and experience does not qualify them for these positions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Veterans with an honorable discharge from the military offer employers maturity, dedication, respect for authority and responsibility unmatched by any other group in the nation. They have financial assistance available to them from the Veterans’ Administration and should be able to qualify for low-interest loans for additional education and training to
prepare them for the demands of today’s job market. The only thing they lack is a guiding hand to point them in the right direction . . . HirEducation will fill that need. Those released from prison face a different set of issues, many of which are steeped in a lack of self-respect and confidence from their time in prison. HirEducation is focused on those who were wrongly imprisoned, unfairly sentenced for menial offenses and/or have
completely paid their debt to society and are owed a fresh start. Part of the goal with HirEducation is to educate and inform this group of their rights and privileges. Help is available through a number of sources, including psychological and career counseling and financial aid.
There are Others Who Are in Need of Help
Plan of Action
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hrough a carefully coordinated agenda, HirEducation will set its goals on providing targeted counseling and direction for each of these groups. Each has specific rights and privileges and need to be made aware and access them. Next, we will address the problem of matching individuals with specific opportunities and identifying available, affordable training to achieve these opportunities. All of this will be packaged in a free event to be held in major cities throughout the country. HirEducation will assemble counselors and programs tailored for specific areas of the country and focus on the specific economic and job opportunities in each area.
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irEducation has also identified a third category of jobseeker, largely ignored by most other programs. This includes individuals who have labored for 20 years or more with an outdated high school diploma and are unable to meet the requirements of today’s marketplace where computers and specialized equipment require dedicated aptitude and training. Each of these groups have little or no access to counseling or direction to help them plan for a financially secure future with a good job and hopes for advancement and security. HirEducation will address these issues. The rest is up to the individual.
Prior to each event, HirEducation will interact with local, state and federal officials to determine the specific focus needed for that area. HirEducation will NOT be a traveling roadshow with the same players and the same message for each group. We seek to evaluate the needs and opportunities in each area, based on existing industry and business conditions and focus on the needs as outlined by area officials. In every instance, we will seek out partners who are willing to donate time and resources to help us help others. This will include promotional efforts as well as educational messages to the community to inform them about HirEducation.
We can’t be all things to all people. However, HirEducation WILL be an instrument of change. Our primary goal is to offer a tailored program of help and direction to specific areas of the country based on their regional needs. One area may be in need of dramatic infrastructure improvements; another may focus on heavy manufacturing; another may need agricultural or light industry upgrades. Construction will play a significant role in all of this as federal funds are allocated for projects, nothing can begin until qualified craftsmen and women are in place to get the jobs done. We will be seeking partners willing to commit time, money and opportunities in every location.
The resources and will are out there. HirEducation will work to coordinate the resources made available to us to help those most in need. Call us TODAY ad 555-123-4567 or email us at weareheretohelp.com.
Board of Directors Malone M. Harmon – Chief Executive Officer Malone is a graduate of Virginia Union University with a BS in Mathematics as well as Masters Degrees in Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems and Information Assurance. He served in the US Air Force as an Electronic and Computer Systems Engineer where he supervised a team of 20 and maintained computer operations during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He has worked as an independent contractor in more than 70 countries for Computer Sciences Corporation, JP Morgan Chase, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, ALICI, MetLife, DuPont and others. He is married to Dr. LaVerne Harmon, President of Wilmington University and the first female African American University President in the history of Delaware. James W. Shaw – President Jim is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BS in Business Administration. He was a commissioned officer in the US Air Force and a pilot serving in the Hurricane Hunters and test flight squadrons. Following his time in the military, Jim became an executive with IBM and eventually worked with Memorex to open offices for their Business Computer Division in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Richmond. Jim then became Vice President of the Eastern Region for Munici-
pal Leasing Corporation. Five years later he opened his second business, which was development of an industrial park in Harford County, MD. After leaving Municipal Leasing, he founded and became chairman of the board of a local bank and part owner of the charter sailing yacht Clipper City, based in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Jim has also served as President of the Alumni Aassociation of the University of Maryland, Chairman of the Harford County Economic Development Board, and Chairman of the Harford Community College Foundation Board. He has conducted career-development seminars and is the author of Success in Action an online career development program.
Donald J. Kirtley – Vice President, Community Affairs Don is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BS in Business Administration, majoring in public relations. He also was a commissioned officer in the US Air Force and served in Vietnam. After military service, he spent several years in Washington as chief of staff to U.S. Senator William Roth (R-DE).He then joined Hercules Inc., a Fortune 300 company in Delaware and retired as VP of External Affairs. While there he was a private sector advisor to Governors Pete DuPont and Mike Castle. He served on the governor’s committee that wrote Delaware’s signature financial legislation, the Financial Center Development Act which established Delaware as a financial center and is estimated to have created more than 40,000 financial jobs in the state. After retirement, he joined the non-profit sector and served as chairman of the Delaware Community Foundation which manages over $250 million in charitable funds. He served many years on the board and as chairman of Christiana Care Hospital System, the state’s largest health care provider and largest private employer. He has a 30-year affiliation with Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware which, during that time, has grown from four clubs in Wilmington to more than 40 locations statewide. G. Richard Booth – Vice President, Event Management Richard is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BS in Business Administration, majoring in Public Relations. After college, he served as a commissioned officer in the US Navy. As a Naval Aviator, he had tours aboard four aircraft carriers and spent most of his career in carrier-based multi-engine patrol aircraft. He also served as Associate Editor of Naval Aviation News, the official aviation magazine of the US Navy. During his time there, he worked directly with the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team for a number of air shows.
Following his time in the military, he entered the association industry in Washington, DC and worked mostly in publications, public relations and trade show management for the National Society of Professional Engineers, The National Automobile Dealers Association, The Associated General Contractors of America and The National Electrical Contractors Association. He worked as a consultant in publishing and trade show management for the Associated Builders & Contractors of America, The United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association and the National Utility Contractors Association. After moving to South Florida, he opened Boca Publishing, Inc., a print and online publishing venture with publications in the fields of education, construction management and equine medicine. He developed and owned the South Florida Construction Expo. A heavy equipment trade show. And he developed and owned The International Equine Veterinarian, a print and online magazine for 10,000 equine veterinarians. He is also a commercial photographer.