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I'M JOE MAY FROM DALLAS COLLEGE.[Chancellor Town Hall on January 21, 2021.]
WELCOME TO OUR TOWN HALL TODAY.LET ME SHARE A QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEM.
WE WILL BE ACCEPTING LIVE QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT TODAY'S TOWN HALL.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO TOWN HALL.
WE WILL ONLY BE RESPONDING TO THOSE QUESTIONS THAT APPLY TO TODAY'S TOPIC.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CONSIDERATION.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY, FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING WORK AS WE START THIS IMPORTANT SPRING SEMESTER FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR EMPLOYERS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME TO JOIN IN AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE WORKING AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE, AS WE'RE UNDERWAY FOR THE SPRING.
SO WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO WERE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR OUR SPRING KICKOFF.
MORE THAN 4,000 EMPLOYEES JOINED US FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE AND OUR CAMPUS SPECIFIC UPDATE FROM THE PRESIDENT.
FOR SO MANY OF YOU, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE DIRECTLY HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR LEADERS AND HOW WE COME TOGETHER AS DALLAS COLLEGE.
IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PROVIDES ALL OF US WITH THE ENORMITY OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO EVERY DAY, FOR THE STUDENTS, FOR OUR EMPLOYERS, AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
TODAY, I REALLY WANTED TO DEDICATE SOME TIME TO DISCUSSING THE WORK OF THE FUTURE AND THE ROLE OF DALLAS COLLEGE AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREPARING OUR STUDENTS ACCORDINGLY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE MISSION OF TRANSFORMING LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION AND THAT HASN'T WAIVED OVER THE YEARS.
PART OF THAT TRANSFORMATION INCLUDES PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR JOBS.
JOBS OF TODAY AND JOBS OF TOMORROW.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMPACTING THAT.
SMART MACHINES, ROBOTICS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ALL ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND REALLY DELIGHTED TO HAVE A GUEST TODAY WHO IS KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THESE TOPICS, NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORKFORCE, BUT COMPLETELY UP TO SPEED WITH NOT ONLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN HIGHER EDUCATION BUT LEADING HIGHER EDUCATION AS WELL.
AND AFTER READING HIS BOOK ON HUMAN WORK, I BECAME CONVINCED THAT IN FACT, HUMANS AND ROBOTS CAN WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE, AND IN FACT, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORKFORCE AS WE WORK AS DALLAS COLLEGE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
YOU KNOW, JOINING US TODAY TO PROVIDE JUST VALUABLE INSIGHT ON THIS TOPIC IS A GOOD FRIEND, NOTED LEADER AND AUTHOR ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, BUT BROADER IN HIGHER EDUCATION, REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE WITH US.
HE'S THE PRESIDENT AND CEO AT ILLUMINA FOUNDATION.
SINCE 2008 HE HAS SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ILLUMINA FOUNDATION, UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS AN INDEPENDENT PRIVATE FOUNDATION THAT IS COMMITTED TO REALLY SUPPORTING THE NEEDS AND FOCUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND MAKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP.
I APPRECIATE HIS FRIENDSHIP AS A THOUGHT LEADER IN THIS SPACE.
PRIOR TO JOINING AND LEADING THE TEAM AT ILLUMINA, HE SERVED AS THE COPARTNER FOR THE INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY AND AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A BIPARTISAN NATIONAL COMMISSION ON COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY BY THE U.S.
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS LEADERS.
HIS PREVIOUS BOOK WAS OUTSTANDING.
"AMERICA NEEDS TALENT" NAMED A TOP 10 BUSINESS BOOK FOR 2016.
AND HIS MOST RECENT BOOK, HUMAN WORK IN THE AGE OF SMART MACHINES.
GOOD, YOU GOT THE GRAPHICS, WHICH IS EVEN BETTER THAN ME HOLDING THEM UP.
I HAVE TO SAY WHEN A FRIEND HAS AUTHORED A BOOK AND I KNOW IT IS COMING OUT.
I ALWAYS GO TO AMAZON, I'LL RESERVE A COPY SO THE DAY IT COMES OUT, I HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, AND WITH USUALLY THE INTENT OF GETTING AROUND TO READING IT, LITERALLY, I HAVE FINISHED THIS BOOK, ONCE I STARTED, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN.
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EVERYTHING WAS RELEVANT AS IT RELATES TO DALLAS COLLEGE, WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IN HIGHER EDUCATION.I THINK JAMIE, WITHIN 24 HOURS, I HAD DEVOURED THE BOOK.
YOU REALLY HAVE A GREAT VISION ON HOW WE CAN DEVELOP OUR CAPACITIES AND CAPABILITIES OF OUR STUDENTS AS HUMANS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME OF LEARNING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES, AND MAKING IT FROM AN EDUCATIONAL POINT OF VIEWPOINTING OUT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE.
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PACE OF CHANGE IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY SLOWER AND THE NEED FOR CREDENTIALS IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY LESS OVER TIME.
YOU KNOW, HE DOES A GREAT JOB IN BOTH OF HIS BOOKS OF REALLY HELPING US CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD LONG HELD IDEAS ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE, AND HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT, JAMIE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE BOOK, WHY IN EDUCATION, WE TEND TO WANT TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO AND WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
AND MAYBE TOUCH ON THAT LATER TODAY AS WE GET INTO IT.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO JAMIE ON THIS.
I COULD FRANKLY TAKE MORE OF HIS TIME THAN HE HAS TO GIVE ON THIS TOPIC, SO I REALLY, JAMIE, CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND JOINING OUR FOLKS AT DALLAS COLLEGE.
>> JAMIE: THANKS VERY MUCH, JOE AND THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION AND THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY NICE INTRODUCTION AND ALSO FOR BEING MY MANY YEAR THOUGHT PARTNER AND I ALSO LOVE OUR CONVERSATIONS, WE HAVE BOTH BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HAVE BOTH WITNESSED TREMENDOUS CHANGES.
SO I'M REALLY THRILLED TO BE HERE.
I WANT TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE WHO HAS JOINED US.
I'M REALLY HAPPY BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW AND WHAT DALLAS COLLEGE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT I THINK HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.
DALLAS COLLEGE AND ILLUMINA ARE IN THE SAME THINGS.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE PROSPERITY THAT COMES WITH IT.
BOTH OF US ARE THE FIRST OF OUR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE.
WHEN JOE AND I GET TOGETHER AND TALK, WE TEND TO COVER A LOT OF GROUND AND PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
I WANTED TO START OUT THAT ONE OF THE MANY THINGS WE SHARE IS A DEEP COMMITMENT AND PASSION FOR EQUITY.
MANY REMEMBER THE SPEECH GAVE ON CONFERENCE DAY IN 2017, IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
IN THAT SPEECH JOE SHOWED A PHOTO FROM 1992 IN GEORGIA, WITH A LITTLE GIRL, NO MORE THAN TWO OR THREE YEARS OLD IN A KKK HOOD STANDING IN FRONT OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN STATE TROOPER.
AS YOU HAVE FORCEFULLY REMINDED US BOTH THEN AND MORE RECENTLY TWO WEEKS AGO, PROVIDING AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO ALL AMERICANS IS AS MUCH ABOUT SECURING OUR DEMOCRACY AS MUCH AS OUR SHARED ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
I THINK THAT'S WHY THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HUMAN WORK IS SO IMPORTANT.
THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK, HAS ITS ORIGINS AND A QUESTION THAT YOU AND I AND A LOT OF OTHER EDUCATORS SHARE A LOT.
WHAT EXACTLY IS EDUCATION FOR? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS EDUCATION, EDUCATION FOR WHAT? PONDERING THAT QUESTION IS REALLY WHERE THE BOOK CAME FROM.
IT STARTED ME THINKING ABOUT THIS IDEA ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CALLING THE FUTURE OF WORK, REALLY WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE CALLING THE WORK THE FUTURE.
I DO JUST WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT I'M QUIBBLING OVER WORD DIFFERENCES, FUTURE OF WORK, WORK OF THE FUTURE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? WELL, THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LEARNING IS IMPORTANT AND WORK MATTERS.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY FUTURE OF WORK, I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE QUESTIONING THE BASIC IDEA OF WORK ITSELF.
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AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY ARE WRONG, AND HERE IS WHY: IF YOU WERE TO DO A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH RIGHT NOW THE PHRASE "FUTURE OF WORK", YOU WOULD GET 100 MILLION HITS AND MOST OF THEM THE ROBOT ZOMBI APOCALYPSE CAMP, JOB LOSS FUELED BY RAPID INTELLIGENCE AND AUTOMATION.I DON'T THINK THAT APOPLECTIC VIEW HAS MUCH TO DO WITH REALITY OR WHAT PEOPLE FUNDAMENTALLY WANT FROM WORK.
I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MOMENT.
I WILL SAY I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT TECHNOLOGY MIGHT ACTUALLY CREATE MILLIONS OF NEW JOBS AS IT ALWAYS HAS IN THE PAST.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THINGS AREN'T DIFFERENT THIS TIME.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN AUTOMATION AND AI.
I THINK WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT.
THE WORK OF THE FUTURE IS GOING TO CHANGE ALMOST EVERYTHING WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, ABOUT JOBS, WORK, ABOUT EMPLOYMENT AND WHAT WE DO IN HIGHER EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS.
IF WE THINK FOR JUST A MOMENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO JOBS BEFORE COVID, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT FAR BACK.
IT SEEMS LIKE MY RUNNING JOKE WHAT A YEAR THIS WEEK HAS BEEN.
IT HAS BEEN TEN MONTHS AND SO IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF YEARS IN OUR LIFETIMES.
FORDECADES AN ENORMOUS INCREASE IN DEMANDS FOR SKILLS ACROSS ALL.
IT WAS ACCELERATED BY THE GREAT SESSION IN 2008 AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS AND REALLY CONTINUING INTO TODAY.
ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS IMPACTS HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF DEGREES AND OTHER CREDENTIALS.
IT IS WORTH UNDERSCORING THAT THE NUMBER OF GOOD JOBS IN THE U.S., IN OTHER WORDS JOBS THAT PAY MEANINGFUL WAGE, OFFER HEALTHCARE, RETIREMENT BENEFITS, THAT'S BEEN SHIFTING TO PEOPLE WITH HIGHER EDUCATION FOR A NUMBER OF TIME.
THE POINT IS EVERYONE ISN'T BENEFITTING.
ONLY THOSE WITH A POST SECONDARY CREDENTIAL ARE BENEFITTING, THOSE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND.
THAT FACT, I THINK, EXPLAINS WHY OUR ECONOMY CAN LOOK SO STRONG ON AVERAGE.
IT LEAVES MOST PEOPLE FEEL THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING IS ACTUALLY DETERIORATING, THEY FEEL THAT WAY, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE.
MOST OF THESE CONVERSATION ARE LARGELY OVERLOOKING OR UNDERSTATING HOW THESE LESS SKILLED WORKERS, PARTICULARLY LESS SKILLED WORKERS, WHO ARE ALSO WORKERS OF COLOR, ARE GOING TO BE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED, PARTICULARLY IN INDUSTRIES LIKE HEALTHCARE AND RETAIL HOSPITALITY.
OF COURSE, THESE ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WE KNOW WHO HAVE BEEN HIT HARDEST BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN THAT HAS RESULTED FROM COVID.
NOW A BROOKINGS INSTITUTION REPORT SAID THAT 53 MILLION AMERICAN WORKERS AGES 16 TO 44 HAVE BARELY ENOUGH TO LIVE ON.
THEIR MEDIAN EARNINGS ARE 10.22 PER HOUR.
AND SO YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE CHALLENGE WE FACE, BECAUSE WHILE THERE WILL BE MANY GOOD JOBS TO BE HAD IN THE COMING YEARS, THEY ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT JOBS AND REQUIRE HIGHER LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ACROSS THE BOARD SO THAT PEOPLE CAN DO MORE WITH THEIR LIVES.
ALL JOBS ARE CHANGING AND PEOPLE NEED TO CHANGE ALONG WITH THEM OR THEY ARE GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND.
AS TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, ANY TASK THAT'S REPETITIVE, MENTAL TASKS AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ONES ARE GOING TO EVENTUALLY BE PERFORMED BY MACHINES.
IT THIS CONCEPT THAT I'M ADVANCING, IT IS SIMPLY THE WORK THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN DO.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS THE WORK IN WHICH PEOPLE PERFORMING IT ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND RESPONDING TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS, BECAUSE THIS LANDSCAPE FOR HUMAN WORK IS SO DYNAMIC, IT ISN'T REPETITIVE AND MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO AUTOMATE.
AUTOMATION TO DO THINGS AT SPEED BUT THE HARDER TO DISCERN PATTERNS AND NUANCE, THE MORE LIKELY IT WILL NEED HUMANS TO DO IT.
SO MUCH HUMAN WORK ALSO INVOLVES INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
THIS IDEA OF HUMAN WORK IS ROOTED IN OUR INTELLIGENCE, OUR DRIVE, OUR VALUES, ALL THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I THINK MACHINES POSSESS AND HUMAN WORK IS DRIVEN BY HOW WE LEARN.
NOW A LOT OF THE PROGRESS IN ROBOTICS AND AI IS BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CONCEPT THAT MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH, IT IS CALLED DEEP LEARNING,
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IT IS A TECHNIQUE WHERE PEOPLE LEARN THROUGH ALGORITHMS THAT DRILL DOWN INTO LARGER DATASETS.HUMANS DEAL WITH WHAT I CALL WIDE LEARNING.
ONE IS TIME, IT HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN A WIDE TIME CONTEXT OVER THE COURSE OF PEOPLE'S ENTIRE LIFETIMES IS IMPORTANT AND PERHAPS EVEN ESSENTIAL TO HUMAN WORK.
BUT IT IS A VIRTUAL CYCLE THAT HAS TO BE REPEATED MANY TIMES OVER A WORKER'S LIFETIME.
NOT SIMPLY ONCE EARLY IN LIFE.
IT IS NOT FIRST YOU LEARN AND THEN YOU WORK, IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THE SECOND DIMENSION OF WIDE LEARNING IS THE PEOPLE DOING THE LEARNING, HUMAN WORK HAS TO SERVE A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE IN TERMS OF THEIR RACE, THEIR ETHNICITY, THEIR GENDER, THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS AND A HOST OF OTHER FACTORS.
HUMAN WORKERS HAVE TO REPRESENT THE TOTALITY OF SOCIETY FOR ALL OF US TO SHARE AND THE BENEFITS OF THEIR HUMAN WORK, AND THE THIRD DIMENSION AND PROBABLY A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR SOME DIALOGUE IS THE CONTENT OF THE LEARNING, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO LEARN TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ECOSYSTEM THAT REPRESENTS A WIDE ARRAY OF HUMAN TRAITS AND CAPABILITIES, OUR ABILITY TO BE EMPATHETIC, COLLABORATOR, ETHICS.
HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BREADTH OF OUR HUMAN TRAITS AND ABILITIES.
I THINK IT IS ROOTED NOT ONLY IN CON TEN AND THE TASKS WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES, BUT NEED TO LEARN TO WORK WITH OTHERS AND BE COLLECTIVE AS A HUMAN BEING.
WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS CRISES, PRESIDENT BIDEN TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY IN HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH, WE'VE GOT THESE SIMULTANEOUS CRISES OF A PANDEMIC, FAULTERING ECONOMY AND RACIAL INJUSTICE AND NOW AN ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY ITSELF.
SO I'LL END BY SIMPLY SAYING THAT ONE OF THE WISEST INVESTMENTS THAT I THINK WE CAN MAKE TO RESPOND TO THESE CRISES IS INVESTING IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS LIKE DALLAS COLLEGE.
I SAY THAT NOT JUST BECAUSE I'M WITH YOU TODAY, BECAUSE OF DALLAS COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS LIKE YOURS ARE BEST POSITIONED TO AWARD THE SHORT TIME CREDENTIAL AND WHAT HAVE YOU FOR PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED.
YOU'RE IN THE BEST POSITION TO FOSTER RACIAL JUSTICE AND THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND HUMAN ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE THE BACKSTOP, THE BULL WORK OF OUR DEMOCRACY NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
I'M JUST GETTING WARMED UP, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO STOP THERE, BECAUSE I'M EGG -- I'M EAGER TO TALK MORE WITH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS IMPORTANT BOOK.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO JUST REITERATE SOMETHING YOU SAID, YOUR SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
YOU USED A LOT OF EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE BOOK, THAT'S SOMETHING -- THIS IS NOT NEW WITH YOU, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I WANTED OUR FOLKS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW -- YOU'RE NOT A NEWBIE TO SUPPORTING THE ROLE AND ADMISSION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
IN FACT, YOU HAVE PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE NECK A LITTLE BIT TO SAY, COME ON, FOLKS, LET'S DELIVER, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THAT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, TOUCHED ON IN THIS WAS, YOU MENTIONED THE ISSUE OF TIME AND THE ISSUE OF CONTENT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD THIS PHRASE FOR A LONG TIME THAT YOU TALK ABOUT LIFELONG LEARNING, WHICH I'M NOT SURE HAS EVER HAD MUCH MEANING FOR THAT MEANS.
HEY, WE'RE STILL HERE IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO COME BACK TO US, BUT YOU REALLY SEE THAT ENGAGEMENT DIFFERENT NOW.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS FOR US AS INSTITUTIONS?
>> PART OF MY -- WHEN YOU WRITE A BOOK, PART OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS GRAB PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.
SO I POKED A LITTLE FUN AT THE IDEA OF LIFELONG LEARNING, IN PART, LOOK, FOR US IN THE EDUCATION FIELD.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD DEAL, RIGHT? WE HAVE AN ONGOING SUPPLY OF STUDENTS, OF CUSTOMERS, OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO COME TO OUR INSTITUTIONS AND BENEFIT FROM WHAT WE DO.
FROM A CONSUMER SIDE, IT SOUNDS LIKE A SENTENCE, PEOPLE SAY, OH, MY GOD, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
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I SORT OF HAVE TO RE-BRAND IT.THIS IDEA THAT YOU LEARN OVER YOUR LIFETIME IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE CORE CONCEPTS WHEN IT COMES TO THIS NOTION OF WIDE LEARNING.
WE HAVE TO DO SO IN THE CONTEXT OF GIVING PEOPLE THE REWARDS THAT THEY GET AND HELPING THEM SEE THOSE REWARDS OF EARNING AND LEARNING MONEY AND REALLY WHAT THE HUMAN WORK ECOSYSTEM IS ALL ABOUT.
>> IF YOU JUST SAY TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE NOT DONE WHEN YOU LEAVE OUR INSTITUTION, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THEY SAY GOOD LORD, NO, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
PARTICULARLY FOR ADULTS, FOR THE SORT OF SWEET SPOT OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOVEMENT, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE REWARDS ARE.
PERSONALLY, WHAT THEY GET OUT OF IT IN TERMS OF WHAT MOST WORKERS WANT TO DO, WHICH IS TO GIVE BACK TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER WELL-BEING.
SO LIFELONG LEARNING IS RIGHT CONCEPTUALLY, BUT PROBABLY GOT A BRAND PROBLEM AND I THINK FROM A HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF LEARNING, EARNING THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS HUMAN WORK ECOSYSTEM.
>> YEAH, AND YOU JUST USED A PHRASE THAT YOU USED A LOT IN THE BOOK.
OF EARNING, LEARNING AND SERVING, FOR A LOT OF US WE HAVE PERHAPS TREATED THOSE AS SEPARATE ENTITIES, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND WHY YOU THINK THE CONCEPT OF -- IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE TIE THOS TOGETHER?
>> IT IS REALLY INTERESTING, BECAUSE I THINK -- AND THIS IS NOT A UNIQUELY AMERICAN PHENOMENON, I'VE WORKED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AS WELL.
I THINK WE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT LEARNING IS SOMETHING YOU DO EARLY IN LIFE AND EARNING IS SOMETHING YOU DO AFTER THE LEARNING, AND THEN IF YOU'RE -- IF YOU DO REASONABLY WELL, YOU HAVE CAPACITY, WHETHER IT IS FINANCIAL OR TIME OR OTHER THINGS TO GIVE BACK AND TO SERVE.
BUT THE REALITY IS, THIS IS THE PARADIGM FOR HUMAN WORK GOING FORWARD.
WHAT WE KNOW THAT WORKERS WANT TODAY IS NOT JUST TO EARN MONEY, ALTHOUGH THEY CLEARLY NEED TO DO THAT AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE THAT THEY LEARN A DECENT LIVE, THEY ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THEMSELVES.
THEY WANT TO ADVANCE THEMSELVES IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN, TO EXPLORE, TO DEVELOP NEW IDEAS, AND THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER WHOLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I POINT OUT IN THE BOOK IS THAT MANY DECADES OF SURVEY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT EVEN FOR THE LOWEST CAN IN QUINTILE OF WORKERS, THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE UP SOME MONEY FROM MEANING.
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS DESIRE FOR WORK TO NOT JUST BE ABOUT MYSELF, BUT FOR WORK TO BE ABOUT SOCIAL MOBILITY AND DIGNITY AND CONTRIBUTING TO A GREATER WHOLE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM.
SO, YES, OBVIOUSLY EARNING MONEY IS IMPORTANT, WE ALL NEED TO DO THAT, WE ALL WOULD LIKE TO EARN MORE MONEY, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL SEE WORK AS PART OF WHO WE ARE, AND AS PART OF WHO WE ARE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OURSELVES AS PEOPLE, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK.
THIS IS WHAT HUMAN WORK IS ALL ABOUT.
IF HUMAN WORK IS PRIMARILY ABOUT INTERACTION WITH OTHER HUMANS, THEN WE REALLY DO WANT TO BE EARNERS AND LEARNERS AND SERVERS AND TO SEE THAT AS PART OF WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE AS WORKERS.
>> YEAH, AND THAT JUST MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, AS WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE ECONOMY, THE WORKFORCE, TO THE NEEDS.
BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS IMPLICATIONS ON CURRICULA, ON PROGRAMS, SO WHAT DO YOU -- HOW DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I GUESS A BETTER WAY OF PHRASING IT, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, HIGHER EDUCATION RESPOND TO THIS NEED TO HAVING INDIVIDUALS IN THE POSITION OF EARN, LEARN, AND SERVE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES?
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO DO HERE AND IT IS PROBABLY WORTH SORT OF GOING DEEPER HERE ON SOME OF WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY THAT EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY, SO THIS IS NOT ON THE BACKS OF THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
THE WORKERS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY, THE EMPLOYERS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY, WE IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WE AS EDUCATORS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS.
BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE FROM THE EDUCATOR PERSPECTIVE THAT WE HAVE TO MEET THE LEARNERS WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH IS A DESIRE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY KNOW AND WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THESE
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CREDENTIALS THAT THEY GET FROM OUR INSTITUTIONS.SO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE TO HEART THE FACT THAT WHAT PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE COMING TO US FOR IS COMPETENCY, WHAT THEY WANT OUT OF THEIR POST SECONDARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS AN ABILITY TO ADVANCE THEMSELVES, SO THAT THEY CAN DO BETTER AT WORK.
SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY.
SO THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THAT SUGGESTS A CURRICULAR FOCUS THAT CONTINUES TO BALANCE THESE ISSUES OF GENERALIZABLE SKILLS AND CONTENT KNOWLEDGE.
SO EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GRAPHIC DESIGN, OR ENGLISH, OR CHEMISTRY, BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE CRITICAL THINKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS AND COMMUNICATORS, THAT DOESN'T COME FROM TAKING A CLASS IN CRITICAL THINKING, IT COMES FROM EMBEDDING THESE CONCEPTS IN ALL OF THE CURRICULAR WORK THAT WE DO IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FIELD THAT YOU'RE STUDYING IN.
SO THIS IDEA THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON COMPETENCY.
COMPETENCY HAS BOTH A GENERALIZABLE AND CONTENT-DRIVEN COMPONENTS AS I SAID, BUT HUMAN WORK IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO NOT ONLY FOCUS ON NOT ONLY DEVELOPING BUT CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THOSE HUMAN TRAITS AND CAPABILITIES OVER THE COURSE OF A LIFETIME.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S CHANGING IN THE HUMAN WORK ECOSYSTEM.
IT IS NOT THAT YOU NEED TO DEVELOP SOME LEVEL OF BASIC EMPATHY OR COMPASSION OR UNDERSTANDING HOW TO BE COLLABORATIVE AND WORK IN TEAMS. YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BECAUSE HUMAN WORK IS GOING TO INCREASINGLY SHIFT TO THINGS ONLY HUMANS CAN DO, WHICH MEANS OUR ABILITY TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE INTERACTORS WITH OTHER HUMANS IS GOING TO BE NEEDED EMBEDDED WITH THE CURRICULUM IN AN INCREASING WAY.
I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION, WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
YES, AND IT IS ALSO NOT CLEAR THE WAY THE PUBLIC SEES WHAT HAPPENS IN LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION IS NECESSARILY WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR EITHER.
WHAT HE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR IS THAT BALANCE OF THINGS, THINGS THEY CAN APPLY IN VERY CONTENT DRIVEN WAYS BUT IN GENERALIZABLE WAYS, BUT ALSO LOOKING FOR THAT LONG-TERM VALUE.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR A FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTION, AT THE ENDS OF THE DAY, ALL OF THE CURRICULUM AND ALL OF THE CREDENTIALS THAT WE REWARD TO PEOPLE SHOULD REPRESENT THIS BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE GENERALIZABLE KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES AND THAT CONTENT-DRIVEN KNOWLEDGE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ON THE CALL TODAY THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS THROUGH THE TOWN HALL @DCCC.EDU, SO FEEL FREE TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALSO ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK IS, YOU KNOW WHILE THERE'S CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY WITH AI AND AUTOMATION THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT ALSO THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED.
SO INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE ROLES, WHAT DO THEY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT FOR THEIR FUTURE?
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE KEY FACT TO REMEMBER HERE IS THAT ON THE MACRO LEVEL, HISTORY HAS SHOWN US THE RACE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SKILLS, TECHNOLOGY ALWAYS WINS.
SO TECHNOLOGY ALWAYS STAYS A STEP AHEAD OF US, WHICH MEANS HE WITH HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OUR SKILLS, BECAUSE OF THE WAY TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE TASKS THEMSELVES WITHIN JOBS ARE WHAT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE MOST.
SO WE MAY CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCOUNTANTS, WE MAY CONTINUE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN VERY APPLIED FIELDS, ET CETERA, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE TASKS WITHIN THOSE ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY VIEW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK VERY SERIOUSLY ABOUT HOW PEOPLE'S JOBS, THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION IS GOING TO CHANGE, EVEN IF THEIR JOB TITLE DOESN'T.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK THAT I'M PROUD OF IS THAT "AMERICA NEEDS TALENT" WAS A VERY I GUESS I WOULD CALL IT JAMIE THE PUBLIC POLICY WONK KIND OF BOOK.
YOU SAW THE STORIES THAT I TELL OF MANY PEOPLE WHO I INTERVIEWED TO PUT THE HUMAN FACE ON WHAT THEY DO.
YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN AN ORGANIZATION IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHO IS WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY CHILD ABUSE, TO
[00:30:08]
A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER, TO I START THE BOOK OUT WITH THIS GUY NAMED JOE LEWIS, WHO HAS WORKED ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE AT CUMMINS ENGINE COMPANY FOR MANY YEARS.HE SPENT MANY YEARS STUFFING ENGINES INTO PICKUP ENGINES.
AT TIMES TECHNOLOGY STARTED TO CHANGE AND THEY DEVELOPED COBOTS AT CUMMINS.
HE REALIZED THAT THE CO-BOTS WERE BEING HIS COWORKERS, IT WASN'T THAT THE TECHNOLOGY WAS TAKING AWAY HIS JOB, WHAT HE WAS DOING WORKING WITH THE MACHINE WAS GOING TO CHANGE.
HE DEVELOPED HIS ABILITY TO BE MORE OF A DIAGNOSTICIAN, ACTUALLY "TRAINS" THE CO-BOTS, AS THEY NEED NEW CAPACITIES, ET CETERA.
HE STILL HAS THE SAME BASIC TYPE OF TITLE, BUT THE TASKS HAVE CHANGED A LOT.
FROM MY VANTAGE POINT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT GOING FORWARD IS MORE AND MORE OF THIS IDEA THAT HUMAN WORK FITS INTO THESE BUCKETS, TYPES, CATEGORIES, THAT ARE BETTER WAY TO THINK ABOUT CLASSIFYING JOBS, I CALL THEM HELPERS, BRIDGERS, INTEGRATORS AND CREATORS.
THE HELPERS INVOLVE A LOT OF DEEP PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
THINK ABOUT MAYBE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERAPISTS OR PEOPLE WORKING WITH IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PERSONAL INTERACTION BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF YOUR INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH.
THE BRIDGERS ARE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THAT CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE AND TECHNICAL TASKS AND SYSTEMS. I MENTIONED JOE LEWIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
A SALES MANAGER MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS TO BE HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT TECHNICAL TASKS AND SYSTEMS. THESE INTEGRATORS ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WORKING IN OCCUPATIONS THAT INVOLVE MORE INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF FIELDS AND APPLYING THEM IN A HIGHLY PERSONAL WAY.
THIS IS TEACHERS, THIS IS SOCIAL WORKERS, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO, AGAIN, ARE BRINGING TOGETHER KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION AND SKILLS FROM A WIDE ARRAY OF CONTACTS AND THEN APPLYING THEM VERY PERSONALLY AND VERY HUMANLY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS CREATORS WHICH IS WORK THAT INVOLVES BOTH HIGHLY TECHNICAL SKILLS AND PEER CREATIVITY.
HERE WE ARE GOING TO BE AHEAD OF THE MACHINES FOR SOME TIME, EVEN THOUGH WE SEE MACHINES DOING SOME OF THIS, I THINK HUMAN CREATIVITY AND THINGS LIKE -- THINK ABOUT A CHOREOGRAPHER OR A GAME DEVELOPER OR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING HIGH LEVELS OF CREATIVE WORK, HUMAN CREATIVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEVELOP ARTWORK, BUT THE ARTWORK ISN'T THE SAME KIND OF THINGS THAT HAS THE HUMAN EMOTION AND CONNECTIVENESS TO US THAT WE WANT AS HUMAN BEINGS.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW JOBS ARE CHANGING AND HOW THE TASKS ARE CHANGING WITHIN JOBS, IT IS PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO CATEGORIZE THESE HUMAN WORK ECOSYSTEMS INTO THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES OF THOSE HELPER, BRIDGERS, I WANT -- INTEGRATORS AND KREE -- CREATORS.
>> I'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THAT ACTUALLY RELATE TO THIS ISSUE.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT ONE OF THE EXAMPLES IN THE BOOK OF THE PUBLIC SERVANT BECOMING FACULTY MEMBER THAT REALLY HELPED HIS STUDENTS ENGAGE IN BOTH PUBLIC SERVICE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT AS LEADERSHIP.
AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS REALLY RELATES TO THAT ISSUE OF SERVICE.
AND IT -- I'M JUST GOING TO READ IT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OPINION ABOUT SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, THE STUDENT IS LEARNING BY SERVING OTHERS, BUT MAYBE NOT EARNING.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, I ACTUALLY ADDRESS SERVICE LEARNING PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE BOOK, BECAUSE I'M -- FIRST OF ALL, MY BACKGROUND IN THE FIELD, SO IN THE EARLY 90S, I WAS PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE LAST GENERATION OF THE SERVICE LEARNING MOVEMENT, AND I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE
[00:35:01]
THAT HELPED CREATE WHAT IS NOW THE CORPORATION SERVICE.TO TAKE TO A NEW LEVEL THE NOTICE OF SERVICE LEARNING.
IT IS THAT INTEGRATION OF SERVING WITH LEARNING.
IN THESE SOME OF THESE YOU MAKE MONEY.
BUT FOR ME THE KEY IS TO SEE THESE AS PART OF A THREE-LEGGED STOOL.
IN THE CONTEXT OF SERVICE LEARNING, YOU ARE APPLYING THE LEARNING IN CONTEXT WHERE YOU ARE DOING SERVICE, I THINK THAT'S REALLY VALUABLE.
BUT THEN THINKING ABOUT HOW THOSE TWO LEGS OF THE STOOL MIGHT RELATE TO WHAT THE STUDENT IS DOING IN TERMS OF EITHER THE AMOUNT -- YOU KNOW THE MONEY THAT THEY ARE EARNING NOW OR WHAT THEY WILL EARN LATER IN THEIR LIFETIMES IF THEY ARE NOT DOING THAT WORK NOW.
SO IT IS THINK BEING THE INTERACTION AMONG THEM THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT DOING THAT WORK OF REALLY INTEGRATING, SERVING AND LEARNING IS GOING TO BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, FOR THE REASONS THAT I SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS THAT IT IS IN FACT WHAT PEOPLE SAY THEY WANT.
THEY WANT MEANING FROM WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR WORK.
AND I THINK SERVICE LEARNING IS A GREAT WAY OF BUILDING THAT STILL SET THAT ALLOWS YOU TO BETTER APPRECIATE THE MEETING AND BETTER CONTRIBUTE TO THE OUTCOMES OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING IN THE FUTURE AS THEY RELATE TO SOCIAL AND BROADER SOCIETAL BENEFITS.
>> YEAH, AND THAT -- I THINK THIS REALLY TIES INTO THE NEXT QUESTION THAT ONE OF OUR FOLKS, A FACULTY MEMBER HAS SUBMITTED.
IT SAYS I'VE WORKED BOTH IN INDUSTRY AS A TRAINER AND NOW AS A TEACHER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES LIKE DALLAS COLLEGE WILL BECOME TRAINING INSTITUTES RATHER THAN US PRODUCING WELL-ROUNDED EMPLOYEE CITIZENS.
WHAT YOU SAY IS WE BETTER BE DOING THE OPPOSITE, BUT HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
>> I THINK THE FAIR QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, I THINK, THIS IS WORK THAT YOU AND I NEED TO DO, JOE, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF HELPING THE POLICYMAKERS AND THE BROADER PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT YOU DO NOW AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING MORE OF IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONTEXT GOING FORWARD.
I DO THINK THERE'S THIS VIEW THAT SOME OF WHAT HAPPENS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES IS EXTREMELY TRANSACTIONAL AND FOCUSED ON TECHNICAL THINGS THAT ARE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HISTORICALLY CALLED TRAINING, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'LL PERMIT A SHORT TANGENT ON THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT WE ARE LONG PAST THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS HARD DISTINCTION BETWEEN EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
I THINK THIS RISING DEMAND FOR TALENT AND HUMAN SKILLS IS PUTTING ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON THE WAY WE PREPARE PEOPLE FOR WORK AND FOR LIFE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THIS MINDSET THAT SOME WORK REQUIRES TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND SKILLS, AND WE CALL THAT TRAINING AND THEN THERE'S THIS OTHER KIND OF LEARNING, ONE THAT WE SORT OF IN AN ELITIST WAY I THINK IS HIGHER LEVEL BECAUSE IT PREPARES PEOPLE FOR LIFE BEYOND WORK, AND WE CALL THAT EDUCATION, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE SPENT DECADES CREATING DISTINCTIONS AMONG THEM.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT IN PREPARING PEOPLE FOR HUMAN WORK, NEITHER TRAINING THE VOID OF THE BROADER LEARNIN NOR EDUCATION DEVOID OF PREPARATION FOR WORK IS GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED.
I THINK THIS DEEPLY HELD BELIEF THAT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT IS BREAKING DOWN AND WILL BREAK DOWN FURTHER AS WE MOVE FURTHER AND FURTHER INTO THE HUMAN WORK ECONOMY.
IN THAT SENSE, I'M NOT WORRIED FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE WELL POSITIONED.
BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE A PUBLIC RELATIONS CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE GOT TO ADDRESS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT IS VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF WHAT YOU GET OUT OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
>> AND EVEN INTERNALLY HOW WE SEE OURSELVES.
I WAS THINKING OF -- IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS, TALIB SAYS IF YOU WANT TO INSULT A BUSINESS LEADER, YOU CALL HIM AN ACADEMIC, THAT HE'S ACTING ACADEMIC, IF YOU WANT TO INSULT SOMEONE IN ACADEMIA, YOU TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING PRACTICAL, AND WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SAYING IS WE NEED TO BRING THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
AND THE SORT OF EQUIVALENT OF, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYERS ARE FROM MARS AND FACULTY ARE FROM VENUS IS TRUE TO SOME EXTENT IN THAT WE TEND TO BELIEVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU
[00:40:06]
SAID.BUT I THINK THE REALITY IS QUITE DIFFERENT.
THE REALITY IS THAT BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF WHAT WE DO IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES IS NOT JUST PROVIDE TECHNICAL SKILLS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK THAT YOU NEED YOUR EMPLOYEE TO DO NOW, BUT THEY ARE BEING BETTER PREPARED TO ADVANCE IN YOUR COMPANY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE THESE STUDIES AT LUMINA, WHAT EMPLOYERS AND IN THIS CASE, IT IS LARGE CORPORATIONS GET OUT OF EMPLOYEE INVESTING AND TRAINING.
IT IS BOTTOM LINE THAT THEY ACTUALLY BENEFIT BY INVESTING IN EMPLOYEE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
BECAUSE BY INVESTING IN EMPLOYEE EDUCATION AND TRAINING, IT INCREASES RETENTION, IT REDUCES RECRUITMENT COSTS AND IT RESULTS IN A NET OVERALL INCREASE IN NET OVERALL ACTIVITY.
THAT IMPROVES THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
EMPLOYERS TEND NOT TO SEE THAT.
WELL, WE NEED SKILLS BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT JOBS THAT ARE CHANGING.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO GET THOSE SKILLS, THEY DON'T SEE THAT IN FACT THE COMPANY IS GETTING BETTER, BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES ARE ABLE TO BE BROADER, HAVE THAT WIDE CAPACITY THAT I TALK ABOUT THAT MAKES THEM EFFECTIVE AS WORKERS.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE THAT ARE RELATED TO IT.
ONE OF THEM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MINI OVER-BLOWNESS ASSOCIATED WITH AI AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK THAT WAS A DRIVER BEHIND YOUR BOOK.
AS YOU POINT OUT, WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE ROBOT ZOMBI APOCALYPSE, I'LL GET IT OUT THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF BOOKS THAT WILL JUST ABSOLUTELY TERRIFY YOU WHEN YOU READ THEM, OR I'VE GOT A FEW ON MY BOOK SHELF THAT ARE HERE.
BUT THE PERSON GOES ON TO ASK, DO YOU HAVE SOME RECOMMENDED READS ON THE GENERAL SUBJECT OF AI THAT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THE DFW AND AREA TECH MARKET.
>> YEAH, I THINK -- LET ME JUST SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF THE APOCALYPSE AS I CALL IT.
WHICH IS, LOOK, ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS TRUE.
AI ULTIMATELY IS GOING TO LEAD TO MANY OF THE TASKS THAT ARE REPETITIVE THAT CAN BE REDUCED TO ALGORITHM.
BUT, AGAIN, I THINK THIS ASSUMES THEREFORE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE OUT OF WORK AS HUMANS, THAT IN FACT, THE ROBOTS ARE GOING TO TAKE OUR JOBS AND WE WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD WHO HAVE TRIED TO ADVANCE THESE BASIC INCOME SCHEMES, WHICH I FULLY UNDERSTAND, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF SHORT-TERM NEEDS.
CLOSELY WHAT HAPPENED IN COVID, THE SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE SUDDENLY KNOCKED OUT IS IMPORTANT.
LONG-TERM BUSINESS SCHEMES ARE NOT WHAT PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC WANT, WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR IS MEANING, THEY ARE LOOKING TO DO MORE HUMAN WORK THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN DO.
SO I THINK IN TALKING WITH THE ROBOTIST AND THE ETHICIST, THEY ARE AS FRUSTRATED AS MAYBE WE ARE WITH THE IDEA THAT THE ROBOTS ARE GOING TO EAT ALL OF OUR JOBS.
BECAUSE THEIR VIEW OF THESE CONCEPTS OF HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF SUBTLETY AND NUANCE AND, AGAIN, WHAT PEOPLE WANT OUT OF WORK, MEANING AND PURPOSE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MACHINES WILL NOT DO, PROBABLY CAN NEVER DO, AT LEAST IN ANY SORT OF FORESEEABLE FUTURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
BUT THE KEY IS THAT WORK IS CHANGING AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS, PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THE WORK THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN DO.
THAT'S THE CRITICAL ELEMENT IN ALL OF THIS THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT JOBS WILL ALSO BE CREATED.
BUT IN BOTH CASES, THE KEY WILL BE THAT WE HAVE TO BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE WORK THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN DO AND DEVELOP TALENT AT A SCALE THAT I THINK IS EVEN LARGER THAN WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO BETTER.
IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS, FRANKLY WHY I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS NOW ON THESE ISSUES OF RACIAL EQUITY AND ENTERPRISE.
WE HAVE HAD LARGE GAPS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, FOR THE LATINO POPULATION, FOR
[00:45:06]
NATIVE AMERICANS.WE HAVE HAD LARGE GAPS IN TERMS OF IMMIGRANTS, FIRST GENERATION LEARNERS, ET CETERA.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
COVID PUT AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON THAT.
THAT SOME OF THOSE JOBS ARE NOT GOING TO COME BACK, EMPLOYERS ARE GOING TO USE AUTOMATION AND USE AI TO SORT OF ADVANCE THEIR BUSINESSES, SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, MANY OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WILL NEED TO GET BETTER ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THEIR SUCCESS WHEN THEY ARE IN THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE IT IS TO OUR SHARED BENEFIT, TO OUR SHARED WELL-BEING, THAT WE INVEST IN THEIR LEARNING.
>> YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PODCASTS YOU'VE DONE AROUND THE BOOK, AND ONE OF THE HOT TOPICS THAT I'M HEARING ON SOME OF THE PODCASTS THAT I LISTEN TO ARE ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORKING REMOTELY DURING THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND THERE ARE PROS AND CONS ON ALL SIDES OF THAT ISSUE, BUT YOUR BOOK CAME OUT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AND NOT WHAT YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PLANNED FOR THE LAUNCH THERE.
SO THE QUESTION HERE THAT SOMEONE HAS ASKED IS, PLEASE SPEAK TO THE FUTURE OF THE WORKPLACE REGARDING REMOTE WORK.
NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FROM HOME, FOR NEARLY A YEAR, TEN MONTHS, YEAH, IT IS GETTING THERE, AND WE SEE HOW DOABLE AND EVEN EFFECTIVE IT IS.
WILL WE BE SEEING THIS MORE IN THE FUTURE, THEN IT GOES ON TO DALLAS COLLEGE AND I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION THAT'S REALLY PLAYING OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE AN EMPLOYER, SO YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, IT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AND ONE THAT WE AT ILLUMINA AS AN EMPLOYER, BUT AS AN ORGANIZATION TO INFLUENCE THE TRAJECTORY, THE NATIONAL A CONVERSATION HAVE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT COVID-19 HAS TRANSFORMED OUR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT SYSTEMS. I'LL OFFER MY PERSPECTIVE WHICH YOU SAW IN THE BOOK, JOE.
KEEP IN MIND THAT COVID WAS A THING WHEN I FINISHED THE BOOK, BUT IT WASN'T AT THE SCALE THAT IT IS NOW.
I KNEW ABOUT COVID, I REFERENCED COVID IN THE BOOK.
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE 400,000 AMERICANS DEAD BY THIS TIME, NOR DID I THINK IT WOULD BE HAVING THIS KIND OF IMPACT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN SAY IS THAT THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO I THINK WANT THINGS TO GO "BACK TO NORMAL".
FOR MANY OF THEM, NORMAL WASN'T VERY GOOD.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS CONTEXT OF REMOTE LEARNING AND WORKING IS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE PANDEMIC, REMOTE WORKING AND REMOTE LEARNING WERE CONSIDERED PERIPHERAL.
THEY WERE NICE, THEY WERE INTERESTING, THEY WERE NOT SORT OF PART OF THE MAINSTREAM, THEN WE HAD THIS MASSIVE SCALING WHERE WORKPLACES AND SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ALL HAD TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IT IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST UNEXPECTED EXPERIMENT IN LEARNING INNOVATION WE HAVE EVER HAD IN OUR COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORK SIDE AS WELL.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS THAT WHILE ONLINE LEARNING AND WORKING IT LIMITATIONS, IT ALSO SHOWS POTENTIAL TO OPEN DOORS.
SO THINKING ABOUT IT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
SO MANY OF TODAY'S STUDENTS, THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE WORKING FULL-TIME.
REMOTE WORK HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE, IT GIVES THEM MORE OPTIONS, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE ARE THE VERY GROUPS FOR WHOM OUR COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING AS A STATE AND AS A NATION, WIL RELY ON GOING FORWARD.
I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE REMOTE WORKING IS VERY DIFFICULT.
PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH CHILDCARE, PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH COMPLEX LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE KEY THOUGH AND, AGAIN, AN OUTCOME WE HAVE LEARNED FROM COVID IS THAT THERE ARE TREMENDOUS DISPARITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN REMOTELY LEARN AND WORK AND THOSE WHO CAN NOT.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT PEOPLE WITH LOWER INCOME, LOWER SKILLS, HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIALS OR LESS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY WOMEN OF COLOR, HAVE HAD VERY LARGE DISADVANTAGES IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN TERMS OF REMOTE WORK.
AND SO WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF ADVANCING THE EQUITY AGENDA FOR THAT REASON AS WELL.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT FOR MANY OF THE
[00:50:02]
LARGEST GROWING SEGMENTS OF OUR WORKER POPULATION, MORE AND MORE WORK WILL BE REMOTE, WILL BE ONLINE, IT WILL BE HYBRID IN SOME WAYS.BUT WE HAVE GOT TO BETTER PREPARE PEOPLE FROM THE LEARNING SIDE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK AS REMOTE WORKERS.
>> YOU KNOW, AND ALONG THOSE LINES, I MEAN, WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT EQUITY IN THIS SPACE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A REAL DIVIDE AND SURROUND THOSE EDUCATED WITH SKILLS AND HAVE THE CREDENTIALS ARE FRANKLY IN A BETTER POSITION TO WORK REMOTELY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE UNEMPLOYMENT DATA, THAT'S JUST CLEAR.
ONLY 3.7% IN TEXAS, IF YOU HAVE SOME TYPE OF POST SECONDARY CREDENTIAL, BUT ALMOST 13% IF YOU DON'T.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A CREDENTIAL, YOU'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO WEATHER STORMS LIKE WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
WITH A PANDEMIC, BUT IF YOU DON'T, A MUCH LESS BUMP IN THE ROAD THAN THIS WILL COMPLETELY DERAIL YOU AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO RECOVER.
>> YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ON THE EQUITY ISSUE, I -- THERE'S SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I KIND OF WANT TO PURSUE THAT.
I WANT TO JUMP RIGHT INTO, WHILE YOU ADDRESS EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, CHAPTER 6, YOU GET PRETTY POINTED WITH SEVERAL THINGS THERE, AND SOME OF THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS, AND IN MANY WAYS, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOME OF WHAT YOU LAID OUT IN "AMERICA NEEDS TALENT" WAS REALLY ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO CHANGE AND BE MORE RESPONSIVE.
I BELIEVE YOU RECOMMENDED THE DEPARTMENT OF TALENT BE CREATED, THAT WOULD FOCUS ON THE REAL NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
BUT JUST CURIOUS, JAMIE, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, KIND OF REFLECTING ON THE PAST FEW WEEKS EVEN AS WE NOW SEE A TRANSITION OF POWER, BUT THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO IT.
AS YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN THAT LAST CHAPTER AND JUST YOUR THOUGHTS THERE.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK, PARTICULARLY IF THEY JUST READ IT, ARE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT A BOOK THAT I WROTE COMPLETED, YOU KNOW, EARLY IN 2020, HAS AN ENTIRE CHAPTER DEVOTED TO DEMOCRACY AND AUTHORITARIANISM.
AUTHORITARIANISM HAS BEEN RISING AND RISING AROUND THE WORLD AND IN THE U.S.
IN PART, AUTHORITARIANISM, THEY PROVOKE CHANGE AND FEAR OF ANOTHER.
THAT WAS A THREAT TO OUR LIBERAL DEMOCRACY AND FRANKLY WHAT I THINK WE AT HIGHER EDUCATION UNDERSTAND IS THE ESSENTIAL NEED FOR A DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSION, OF BELIEF, OF WAYS OF LIVING, THAT I THINK THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT I WAS REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IN WRITING THE BOOK UNFORTUNATELY CAME TRUE.
THESE INFORMATION BUBBLES REINFORCING THESE ANTI-DEMOCRATIC TENDENCIES.
FALSE INFORMATION GETTING OUT THERE, FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT COVID, FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE COUNTRY IF WE ELECT A DEMOCRAT OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE MAY BE, AND IT IS NOT A POLITICAL CONVERSATION, IT IS MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE OF WHAT THAT AUTHORITARIAN MINDSET IS.
BUT, AGAIN, BEFORE THE BOOK CAME OUT, A THIRD OF AMERICANS SAID THAT HAVING A STRONG LEADER IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY AND AN ABOUT A QUARTER SAID MILITARY RULE WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO GOVERN OUR COUNTRY.
NOW, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BROAD VIEW, THAT IS SHARPLY DIFFERENT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE.
WHO HAVE SOME POST SECONDARY CREDENTIALS.
THE PERCENTAGE IS A LOT LOWER.
IT IS NOT ONLY THAT WE'RE LIKELY TO VOTE, THAT WE'RE BETTER CRITICAL THINKERS AND BETTER ETHICAL DECISION MAKERS AND ANALYTICAL REASONERS.
THOSE ARE THE DEMOCRACIES AND CAPABILITIES THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE WE'RE FACING NOW.
SO WE NEED TO ENGAGE IN THIS IDEA THAT OTHERS ARE TALKING ABOUT CALLED ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP.
NOT DOING "CIVIC" LEARNING, BUT PREPARING TO BE ACTIVE PARTS OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND TO BE ABLE TO FREELY EXPRESS IDEAS AND COMBAT THOSE THREATS TO OUR SHARED DESIRE FOR A FREEDOM OF OPPORTUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, HUMAN WORK OFFERS ALL OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT?
[00:55:01]
BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT MEANING AND PURPOSE AND DIGNITY AND ABOUT SOCIAL MOBILITY, THE THINGS THAT OFFER BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL A CHANCE FOR PROSPERITY BUT REALLY ALL THAT PROSPERITY, AND TO ME, THAT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO WHA DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT AND FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE GUARDING AGAINST IN THIS INCREASINGLY AUTHORITARIAN WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN.>> SO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE AS YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY?
>> YOU KNOW, I AM AN OPTIMIST, AND JOE, YOU READ THE BOOK, I THINK MANY PEOPLE -- YOU'VE READ BOTH OF MY BOOKS, I'M AN OPTIMIST, MY OPTIMISM HAS BEEN TESTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT BOTH WE AS A COUNTRY AND WE AS A GLOBAL SOCIETY WILL RISE TO THIS CHALLENGE OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN.
RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF AUTOMATION AND AI, RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF AUTHORITARIANISM AND THESE ANTI-DEMOCRATIC VIEW, THE WAY WE WILL DO THAT IS THROUGH YOUR WORK THAT YOU A DALLAS COLLEGE DO, BETTER PREPARE PEOPLE FOR WORK AND LIFE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, BETTER PREPARING THEM FOR THE SHARED OUTCOMES, THE EARNING, THE LEARNING, THE SERVING, I THINK WILL MAKE US INDIVIDUALLY MORE SUCCESSFUL AND ENSURE THAT ALL OF US ARE MORE PROSPEROUS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I -- TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF MY REMARKS AS A FIRST GENERATION LEARNER, FIRST GENERATION GRADUATE LIKE YOU, IN SOME WAYS I FEEL LIKE I WON THE LOTTERY, I GOT LUCKY.
LUCK IS A TERRIBLE SOCIETAL STRATEGY, I WANT TO HAVE A PLAN AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THAT PLAN.
RIGHT NOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE HAVE LEARNED BETWEEN COVID AND THE JANUARYÂ 6TH EVENTS AND THE RACIAL INJUSTICE WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST YEAR, ALL WHAT WE KNEW IS COMING HAS BEEN ACCELERATED, I'M OPTIMISTIC, BUT ALSO URGENT.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THE URGENCY HERE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS NOW.
>> THANKS, I'M OPTIMISTIC AS WELL, AND I -- AND I HAVE SINCE SAW PART OF THE REASON WHY YOU WROTE THE BOOK, THAT SINCE OF URGENCY, SO WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES LEFT, JAMIE.
SO WHERE AS WE THINK ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TELLING US IN THE BOOK IS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HUMAN WORK, WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AS INSTITUTIONS, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AS WE TRANSFORM OURSELVES TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR HUMAN WORK.
>> WELL, LET ME JUST RESTATE TWO THINGS THAT I DID NOT GO DOWN THESE PATHS.
ONE IS FOCUSING ON SOCIAL EQUITY AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO OUR GOALS IS IMPORTANT.
AT A GENERALIZABLE LEVEL, BETTER PREPARING PEOPLE FOR THE BROADER HUMAN WORK TASKS, AS I SAID EARLIER, THE GENERALIZABLE AND THE CONTENT SPECIFIC.
>> MAYBE AT A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL, SORT OF THINKING MORE DEEPLY ABOUT THE KIND OF WORK YOU'RE ALREADY DOING AND ACCELERATING THAT.
COMPETENCY BASED DELIVERY, THINKING ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT MODEL THE FOR THE LENGTH OF SEMESTERS AND THE LEARNING MODULES THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING IN SHORTER LEARNING CONTEXT OR MORE FLEXIBLE LEARNING CONTEXT, BEING VERY STUDENT CENTERED IN YOUR POLICIES, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE FOCUSED ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF THESE ADULTS FOR WHOM THEY HAVE MANY BARRIERS, FAMILY OBLIGATIONS, OF PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS, ET CETERA, DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO BRING THE LEARNING TO THEM I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I WOULD ARGUE AND I HAVE GIVEN THE SAME ADVICE TO EMPLOYERS, I WOULD ARGUE THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OTHER POST SECONDARY LEARNING INSTITUTIONS AND THE EMPLOYERS SHOULD BE SITTING DOWN WITH THEIR LEARNERS, OR THEIR STUDENTS, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES AND DEVELOPING CONCRETE PLANS.
SIT DOWN AND MAKE A PLAN FOR HOW YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL WILL DEVELOP YOUR LEARNING, EARNING AND SERVING SKILLS AND BE EXPLICIT ABOUT IT.
ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES AT LUMINA DID THIS, HE SAID I THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS I HADN'T THOUGHT OF BECAUSE I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN AND DID IT.
BEING CONSISTENT ABOUT THAT, THESE LEARNING, SERVING, EARNING PLANS MIGHT BE A PRACTICAL TOOL THAT DALLAS COLLEGE CAN DO AS PART OF YOUR STUDENT
[01:00:03]
SERVICES.I LOVE THE IDEA OF DOING IT OURSELVES AND HAVING OUR OWN PLAN AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS.
JAMIE, THE BOOK IS "HUMAN WORK IN THE AGE OF SMART MACHINES".
THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME WITH THE FOLKS AT DALLAS COLLEGE, WE HAVE A GREAT TURNOUT TODAY FOR THE EVENT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINAL NUMBERS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WELL OVER 1700 OF OUR FOLKS JOINED US, SO GLAD TO HAVE THEM HERE.
THAT'S ALL OF THE TIME WE HAVE TODAY, BUT JAMIE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, AND FOR THOSE FACULTY AND STAFF WITH UPCOMING TOWN HALLS, WE DO ADDRESS ON AN ONGOING BASIS YOUR QUESTIONS.
KEEP THEM COMING TOWN HALL @DCCC.EDU.
>> I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.