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New alternate dispute-resolution firm opens in Syracuse
SYRACUSE — ADR-Chiefs, an alternate dispute-resolution services firm that recently opened in Syracuse, is banking on the growing trend of using mediation to solve legal disputes. “Mediation in other parts of the United States is very popular and very much in vogue, especially out West,” ADR-Chiefs Partner Gustave J. DiBianco says. “We’re hoping that someday […]
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SYRACUSE — ADR-Chiefs, an alternate dispute-resolution services firm that recently opened in Syracuse, is banking on the growing trend of using mediation to solve legal disputes.
“Mediation in other parts of the United States is very popular and very much in vogue, especially out West,” ADR-Chiefs Partner Gustave J. DiBianco says. “We’re hoping that someday mediation will be a big part of the legal scene here.”
The firm, which opened in August at the University Building on 120 E. Washington St., is currently sharing office space with Robert G. Wells, an attorney.
ADR-Chiefs specializes in arbitration and mediation cases regarding contract disputes, matrimonial disagreements, personal-injury claims, and other matters, ADR-Chiefs Partner William H. Pease says.
The firm’s partners, and its only two employees, bring a lot of experience in these areas.
“We’re a brand new organization,” Pease says. “I’m a retired Assistant U.S. Attorney and my partner, [DiBianco], is a retired [Chief] U.S. Magistrate Judge” in the Northern District of New York.
Pease says mediation, which involves a third party helping both parties in a dispute come to an agreement, is a newer type of dispute resolution, especially in Central New York.
ADR-Chiefs is just getting started with such cases and the partners are not sure where it’ll all lead yet.
“We have one case coming up shortly and who knows when we’ll get the next one. We’re both retired, so we’re not looking to make a bundle,” Pease says.
ADR-Chiefs’ current target market is lawyers from the area, but it is also seeking area businesses and insurance companies as clients, he says.
“Often times there are contract disputes, and it may be that the parties would agree to participate in mediation before one of them hires a lawyer and sues the other,” Pease says.
Partner backgrounds
Pease has been a licensed attorney in the state of New York since 1973. He worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York for 27 years, according to the ADR-Chiefs website. Pease also worked in private practice for 10 years.
DiBianco was the Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge in the state’s Northern District for nine years and served for 22 years as a judge. He has personally conducted more than 150 mediation-type settlement conferences where “the litigants fashioned a mutually acceptable settlement ending the federal litigation,” according to the website.
Services
ADR-Chiefs provides mediation, arbitration, and early neutrality evaluation (ENE) services, according to its website.
Arbitration is historically the most commonly used and well-known form of alternate-dispute resolution, according to ADR-Chiefs. Arbitrators utilize some of the steps in traditional litigation, including discovery, motion practice, legal arguments, and testimony. After that, they issue a written decision, the firm says.
Mediation has become increasingly popular, and in some jurisdictions, the courts require it, according to ADR-Chiefs. The firm says on its website that mediation “is by far the most flexible and adaptable device which works in many different situations to assist with unique or complex resolutions.” Among the advantages of mediation, include confidentiality, large cost savings when compared to litigation, and expediency, the firm contends.
ENE brings all parties together early in the pre-trial phase to summarize their cases and receive a non-binding assessment by an experienced neutral attorney with subject-matter expertise, according to ADR-Chiefs.
ADR-Chiefs charges $200 per hour for a file review, $300 an hour during mediation proceedings, and a flat rate of $1,000 for a half-day session, for a single mediator, according to the firm’s website. The firm also charges $300 per hour for a file review, $450 an hour during mediation proceedings, and $1,200 for three hours with two mediators.
The firm requires a $1,200 retainer for a single mediator and a $1,500 retainer for a dual mediator, according to the website.
Contact Imbert at news@cnybj.com
Startup nears launch of social-gaming app
SYRACUSE — A startup founded by Syracuse University (SU) students that aims to crowdsource predictions on a range of topics in a social-gaming app is nearing launch. PsyQic’s president, Keisuke Inoue, is working on his doctorate in information studies. The company is an outgrowth of his research. He says he was inspired to launch his
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SYRACUSE — A startup founded by Syracuse University (SU) students that aims to crowdsource predictions on a range of topics in a social-gaming app is nearing launch.
PsyQic’s president, Keisuke Inoue, is working on his doctorate in information studies. The company is an outgrowth of his research.
He says he was inspired to launch his own business after seeing many of his students work on startups. Inoue has also served as a technical mentor at the Syracuse Student Sandbox, a business-incubator program at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse aimed at student ventures.
PsyQic participated in the sandbox during the summer.
The company’s app will eventually allow its users to post questions on topics like sports, politics, television shows, movies, business, science, environment, technologies, and more. Other users will then attempt to predict the outcomes of those questions, Inoue explains.
The company is launching its app for iOS this month. A Web version will follow. For now, PsyQic staff members are posting questions and verifying outcomes.
The eventual goal is to crowdsource both questions and outcomes.
“That will make the questions much more interesting to users,” Inoue says.
Current users can also submit questions to staff members for posting. The company has been testing the app with a group of about 60 people.
Inoue first began forming the idea for PsyQic in January. The company incorporated in May and then participated in business competitions including the Panasci Business Plan Competition at SU, the RvD IDEA competition at SU, and the New York State Business Plan Competition.
PsyQic won second prize in the information technology and software category at the state competition and the Goldberg Prize in Technology and Innovation at the Panasci competition.
The company won some money at each competition for a total of $9,500, Inoue says. With the app close to launching, he says he plans to travel to New York City in November to pitch the firm to SU alumni and investors.
PsyQic also plans to apply to the $350,000 Startup Labs accelerator that is launching in Syracuse in the coming months.
PsyQic will monetize its app through three revenue streams, Inoue says. The first is through affiliate programs from companies like Apple and Amazon.
Since many of the questions are expected to tie in with other content, the app could prod users to download a television show or book from iTunes or Amazon to find out whether their predictions are right. Through affiliate programs, those sales would kick some money back to PsyQic, Inoue says.
In fact, he says that’s the first revenue stream the company expects to implement since it will work with any number of users.
Once the user base is larger, the firm could look to add sponsored questions from other companies, Inoue says. And eventually, it could look to data sales for market research, political work, or academic use.
Inoue says the company needs to have at least 10,000 to 20,000 users in a year to keep moving forward. Social-media apps, he notes, tend to grow exponentially.
The firm is actually aiming much higher than that.
“We hope to have that and more,” says Meocha Belle, PsyQic’s director of communications.
The app features a Qi score that measures a user’s ability to predict accurately. The company’s goal is to make that score as much a part of the online world as a Klout score, Belle says.
PsyQic’s core management team includes three people and the firm has five interns with plans to grow that total to 10, Inoue says.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
Rescue Mission celebrates new leadership and 125th anniversary
SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse has had a lot to celebrate lately — its 125-year anniversary, new executive leadership, and its plans for moving forward. As part of the 125th anniversary, the mission celebrated in September with a series of events. And throughout the year, the Rescue Mission has been working to
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SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse has had a lot to celebrate lately — its 125-year anniversary, new executive leadership, and its plans for moving forward.
As part of the 125th anniversary, the mission celebrated in September with a series of events. And throughout the year, the Rescue Mission has been working to brand the campus. Originally established on Railroad Street in 1887, the mission moved to its current location on Gifford Street in November 1976. The campus sits on 8.5 acres in downtown Syracuse, in what it known as the “mission district.” In May, banners commemorating the Rescue Mission’s presence since 1887 were placed on the utility poles throughout the district.
Another branding initiative is painting signage on the railroad bridge as you enter the mission district. From Clinton Street facing the Rescue Mission, the bridge will read “Mission District.” From Gifford Street facing Syracuse, the bridge will say “Lives Change Here.” The project is expected to be complete this month.
Promoting the mission visibly is just one aspect of the branding initiative; another is to increase the capacity of the nonprofit’s food service and housing programs. “The campus needs to be easily accessible to those in need,” says Alan Thornton, executive director and CEO of the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse.
To accomplish this, the mission is working on a campus master plan. Currently in its initial planning phase and spearheaded by COO Corey Kociela, the first goal will be to open more space for those who need shelter. On average, 246 people who might have been homeless stay at the Rescue Mission nightly, according to its 2011 annual report.
The plan involves moving the shelter and day center to the recreation center. This will simultaneously open up the shelter for more single rooms. At present, the day center has 28 single rooms and they are always full. This year, the mission added 12 beds and 20 cots to its 120 beds already in the emergency shelter due to increased demand for services.
The mission began working on the master plan in 2011. It teamed up with SWBR Architects, which has a Syracuse office at 309 South Franklin St., to create the design details and with a consultant to work on state and federal grants. Several grants have been submitted, and the mission is waiting to hear if they are approved. Even if it receives approval now, it would still be at least six to eight months before construction can begin. The estimated cost is $11 million to $12 million for the expansion and improvements.
New leadership
On Aug. 2, Thornton formally assumed the role as executive director and CEO for the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse.
No stranger to the Rescue Mission, Thornton’s journey to Central New York and the nonprofit began with a girl. While attending Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Thornton met Simone, the woman who would eventually become his wife. She was from the Syracuse area and had been heavily involved with the Rescue Mission since she was a child. She introduced Thornton to the Mission and helped him learn about its work in the community.
After Thornton graduated with a degree in exercise science, he reached out to the Rescue Mission to inquire about job opportunities. Fortunately, there was an opening for him. On Oct. 6, 1994, he started as the program supervisor for the recreation center. This month marks his 1a8th anniversary with the Rescue Mission.
Throughout the years, Thornton meandered his way through the organization through different programs, camps, administration, and he dabbled in other departments such as human resources and IT. For the last eight years, he worked as the director of operations and chief operating officer.
When the former executive director, Chasz Parker, voluntarily resigned in May, the board launched a search for a replacement. Even though it might have seemed that Thornton was the next logical person to fill this position, he had to go through the vetting process with all the other national candidates. “My personal professional goal is to lead at the highest level possible in my field. I always hoped that would be here in Syracuse,” says Thornton.
Though originally from Toronto, Canada, he calls Central New York his home now. “We love this community. I am happy to call Syracuse home,” Thornton says. This summer, he completed the naturalization process to become an American citizen. He turned 40 this month and wants to spend the second half of his life as an American citizen.
Thornton’s right-hand man, Corey Kociela, followed Thornton up the executive ladder. Formerly the director of programs, Kociela stepped into Thornton’s previous role as COO in September. Like Thornton, Kociela’s first job out of college from SUNY Oswego was at the Rescue Mission. He started off as a counselor, then advanced to a team leader in the Christian community center for his first few years, and then eventually moved to the recreation center as a team leader.
After five years at the Mission, Kociela took a brief hiatus to work in sales. He liked working in sales, but wanted to return to a nonprofit, and eventually found his way back to the Rescue Mission — this time, as the food service director.
“I love to work with people and see people get help,” says Kociela.
To round out its executive team, the mission is currently seeking a CFO. Even with all the executive changes and moving parts, “we haven’t skipped a beat so far,” says Kociela. “The staff is energetic and communicates well.” All are really excited about the changes that are coming under Thornton’s leadership. “Alan has big vision and great leadership,” states Kociela.
Changing lives for 125 years and today
The Rescue Mission mainly serves three communities in Onondaga, Broome, and Cayuga counties, but has a presence in four other counties with Thrifty Shopper stores. In addition to a Thrifty Shopper store, Broome County also has Whitney Place, a supportive residence for 32 formerly homeless men that opened in 2010. Last year, the mission launched Family Transitions in Auburn. Family Transitions is a nine-apartment pilot program for homeless families in Cayuga County. Both Whitney Place and Family Transitions were projects of Kociela’s.
By the end of the year, the Rescue Mission will have a presence in Ithaca with a Thrifty Shopper, donation center, and case-management services. Depending on the success of the new 3fifteen store on the SU hill, the mission could possibly open one in Ithaca also, says Thornton.
For the 2011 fiscal year, the Rescue Mission generated $16 million in total revenue. More than half of the revenue came from the stores and salvage, recyclable items that cannot be sold in the stores, such as metal, wood, and worn-out clothes. General contributions, government agencies, legacies and bequests (items, property or money left to the Rescue Mission in someone’s will), and program fees rounded out the rest of the revenue sources. More than 80 percent of the revenue is spent on program services.
The Rescue Mission is vitally needed in the community and seeing historically high demand for its services now, Thornton says. Along with increasing the number of beds in the emergency shelter, the number of meals served daily has increased since 2011, with huge increases surrounding Memorial Day and in August, upwards of 900 meals by Kociela and Thornton’s estimates. An average of 620 meals were served per day in 2011. Year to date for 2012, the mission averages 692 meals served per day. The Rescue Mission served more than 10,000 people in need in three communities in its 2011 fiscal year.
Thornton credits the community for the mission’s ability to operate. “We are grateful for the community’s support financially, in volunteers and goods,” Thornton says. While the Mission’s goal is to help change the lives of those less fortunate, the lives of those who work or volunteer there also change. It’s just how the Mission works.
Contact Collins at ncollins@cnybj.com
——————————————————————————————————–
Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse
155 Gifford St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 472-6251
www.rmsyr.org
Key Staff
Executive Director/CEO Alan Thornton
Former Executive Director’s compensation (2011 fiscal year) $133,872
COO Corey Kociela
Chief Human Resources Officer Joyce Dennington
Chief Development Officer Carolyn Hendrickson
Board of Directors (Officers)
Chair
Christopher Gardner FMF&E Wealth Management LLC
Vice Chair
Charles Chappell, III Genco ATC Product Lifestyles Logistics
Vice Chair
Laura Horian Consultant
Treasurer
Jean R. Cole Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, PC
Secretary
Wesley Skinner Manth-Brownell, Inc.
Board Members
Thomas J. Wood, Jr. (Past Chair) Consultant
Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling Syracuse University
Brian Johnson Dannible & McKee, LLP
Jeanne Korchak O’Brien & Gere
Susan Mangicaro Welch Allyn Inc.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
On the Syracuse campus: emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing programs for up to 252 men a night, mobile homeless outreach, community meal program, day center, clothing outreach center, employment resource center, and workforce development programs. In Broome County: Whitney Place, a supportive residence providing permanent housing for up to 32 homeless men. In Cayuga County: Family Transitions that provides transitional and permanent housing with support services for up to 10 homeless families. Thirteen Thrifty Shopper stores located in a seven-county area of Central New York and its newest retail venture, 3fifteen on the S.U. Hill.
Recent Organizational Highlights
In August, it appointed a new executive director/CEO and opened 3fifteen, its newest thrift shop, in the Marshall Square Mall on the S.U. Hill. Celebrated its 125th anniversary of service to the community with several special events in September.
Planning/Fundraising Outlook for 2012:
Regionalization efforts continue with the November addition of a Thrifty Shopper store, Donation Center, and Transitional Permanent Housing Program in Ithaca, and the possibility of new program development in neighboring counties. The initial phase of a 10-Year Syracuse Campus Master Plan hopes to begin in late 2013, if funding permits. With the steadily increasing need for services in all Rescue Mission programs, it will be necessary to raise additional funding in the fiscal year 2013 that begins Oct. 1.
Revenue Sources
Contributions & Grants 6,161,485
Program Services 908,792
Investment Income 552,583
Other 8,467,272
Total Revenue 16,090,132
Expenditures
Salaries & Employee Benefits 9,071,476
Grants paid 177,720
Other 5,128,507
Total Expenses 14,377,703
Surplus for the Year 1,712,429
Entrepreneurship class starts at SUNY Cortland
CORTLAND — A new course in entrepreneurship at the State University of New York Cortland (SUNY) aims to give students the tools they need to develop their own business ventures. The course began this fall with 28 students. “I think it’s long overdue,” says Brian Ward, who has been teaching at SUNY Cortland for 10
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CORTLAND — A new course in entrepreneurship at the State University of New York Cortland (SUNY) aims to give students the tools they need to develop their own business ventures.
The course began this fall with 28 students.
“I think it’s long overdue,” says Brian Ward, who has been teaching at SUNY Cortland for 10 years and is the instructor for the entrepreneurship class. “To have a program that focuses on such a major part of the economy is critically important.”
Small businesses form a key piece of the nation’s job landscape, he notes.
During the fall semester, students are researching local establishments to determine their business needs and interests, according to the university. Ward says groups of students have already formed around six different projects.
The course was designed in two parts. The next, which would take place in the spring, is aimed at further developing the business ideas and determining if they’re viable.
Even if the ideas don’t turn out as students would hope, they will have learned the process, Ward contends. That includes tasks like developing a business plan, marketing strategy, financing, and conducting market research.
“Even if something doesn’t come out of it, you’ll have a group of students that are knowledgeable and educated about how to go about this,” says Ward, who is also president of Cortland Line Co., a manufacturer of fly-fishing equipment.
He says that plenty of people who try to start a business get hung up along the way. It could be a permitting or licensing issue or poor research on potential competitors.
The idea of the course at SUNY Cortland is to educate students on how to navigate those challenges.
“A lot of people, I think, get blocked at some point,” Ward says. “They start something and then run into a problem and don’t know how to get around it.”
Already, some of the groups of students in the fall course have modified their ideas based on what they’ve learned in their research, he says.
The long-term goal for the students is to pitch their concepts to venture capitalists or angel investors. That would take place during the spring-semester course, according to the university.
“It’s kind of a twofold thing,” Kathleen Burke, an associate professor of economics who is helping coordinate and develop the course, said in a news release. “On the academic side, we’ll have our students trying to develop their own business ideas using the know-how of successful local businesses and people in the community.
“Then, within the community, we’ll use the talents of our students to assist small, growing businesses.”
Ward says he’s bringing in mentors for the students from throughout the local business community. He’s setting up the students
with experts who are aligned with their ideas.
SUNY Cortland is also reaching out to other universities with entrepreneurship courses and incubators to gather ideas about how to expand and improve the course in the future, Ward says.
The university has a total enrollment of more than 7,300 students with more than 6,300 undergraduates and nearly 1,000 graduate students. The school has more than 600 faculty members and offers 61 undergraduate and 33 graduate-level majors.
First three-year graduates finish up at Hartwick
ONEONTA — Hartwick College has graduated the first class in its three-year bachelor’s degree program. The program began in 2009 with 18 students. Twelve from that group graduated in May, says David Conway, the school’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing. The others from that initial group either left the school or will finish
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ONEONTA — Hartwick College has graduated the first class in its three-year bachelor’s degree program.
The program began in 2009 with 18 students. Twelve from that group graduated in May, says David Conway, the school’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing.
The others from that initial group either left the school or will finish in four years, he adds. The program has since grown to include about 10 percent of each year’s incoming freshman class.
Of this year’s 446 freshmen, 44 are enrolled in the three-year program, Conway says. The 10 percent mark was the school’s initial goal for the initiative.
“It wasn’t my sense that we would get to this point so quickly,” Conway says.
He adds that the college probably needs to start discussing the program’s future and whether and how it will grow.
“We certainly don’t want to prevent anyone from being in the program,” he says.
Two groups of students have progressed through the program since it began. About three-quarters finished their degrees in three years. Often, students who took four years switched majors, Conway says.
The three-year program began after Hartwick’s current president, Margaret Drugovich, took office in 2008. Conway says she broached the subject of a three-year program in the fall of 2008 and the college began exploring its feasibility.
Of the private college’s 31 majors, 24 participate in the three-year program, Conway says. That includes some of the college’s most-enrolled majors like nursing and biology.
The move to launch the program was aimed squarely at affordability, Conway says. College costs have been rising, he notes, and federal aid hasn’t been helping middle-income students as much as they need.
So, student-loan debt has been rising.
Finishing a degree in three years instead of four will save students more than 25 percent, Conway adds, since it eliminates the fourth year of tuition — the most expensive year because of rising annual costs.
“We want people at the low end and in the middle of the spectrum to be able to get access to a good education,” Conway says.
And that access, he adds, shouldn’t come with large debt loads that will cripple students as they’re just starting out.
In New York, 61 percent of graduating seniors leave college with debt, according to the Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the Institute for College Access & Success. The institute is a nonprofit independent research and policy organization.
The average debt load totals more than $26,000. At private four-year schools, that total can increase to more than $30,000 or even $40,000 in some cases, according to the project.
Students in the three-year program don’t take online or summer courses, with the exception of nursing students, who take two summer classes. They simply complete their required coursework in a compressed period.
Since that makes for an intense experience, the program is restricted to students with a high-school grade point average of 85 and up, Conway says. The program tends to attract high-achieving students in intensive programs in areas like the sciences, he adds.
Many of those students also bring Advanced Placement coursework from high school that can earn them college credits, Conway notes. That helps them reduce their course load somewhat.
The students get priority access to registration and also are assigned an adviser specific to the three-year program, whose job it is to keep the students on track.
Hartwick’s tuition, room, board, and fees total more than $47,000 for the 2012-2013 school year for a full-time student, according to the college.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
Columbia College seeks to boost enrollment at Syracuse campus
SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead. The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one
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SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead.
The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one in Syracuse, says Scott Vinciguerra, director of the local campus.
The new building opened earlier this year.
“We just want to see levels of consistent growth and with that growth we want to see expansion of services,” Vinciguerra says. “Students will let us know what they need.”
The school relocated to a less secure area of the base, Vinciguerra says, and now has its own access point to the base. That means students can come to campus anytime.
Previously, they mainly came just for class. The new building features a student lounge and library along with administrative offices, nine new classrooms, and two labs.
Because students can now get to the college anytime, new programming can be created, Vinciguerra says. That includes groups like a new student advisory council that meets monthly.
“We have very much now, a community,” Vinciguerra says. “We’re building those important collaborative relationships.”
The school is aiming to strengthen its ties with the local community, he adds, and get students involved in efforts like cell-phone drives for soldiers overseas and food drives for local organizations. The school is also planning to work with the Toys for Tots program during the holidays.
Columbia College, which began in Missouri in 1851, has since expanded to 35 campuses around the country. In upstate New York, the college also has a campus at Fort Drum.
The Syracuse branch has about 1,000 students. While Columbia College has strong ties to the military, it serves a broader base of students, Vinciguerra says. About 800 of the students at the local campus are civilians.
The school offers degree programs ranging from the associate level to master’s.
Business is the school’s top program with students focusing on areas like marketing and management, Vinciguerra says. The college also offers typical liberal-arts classes in areas like human services, history, psychology, and more, he adds.
The campus serves mainly adult learners. Only a small percentage of its students are in their typical college years. The average is 34, Vinciguerra says.
The college may look to add more academic programming at some point, but for now the focus is on boosting enrollment.
“We want to increase enrollment and make the community aware that we’re here and we’re committed to the community,” Vinciguerra says.
Columbia College’s Syracuse campus employs 70 faculty members and an administrative staff of 10 people.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
Junior Achievement: A solution to the work-force skills gap
The health of a nation is largely influenced by the makeup of the current and future work force. The characteristics of the work force affect productivity, the economy, and global competiveness. In 2011, about 139 million individuals, or 58 percent of the non-institutional, civilian population (age 16 and older), were in the U.S. work force.
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The health of a nation is largely influenced by the makeup of the current and future work force. The characteristics of the work force affect productivity, the economy, and global competiveness. In 2011, about 139 million individuals, or 58 percent of the non-institutional, civilian population (age 16 and older), were in the U.S. work force.
As the economy recovers, former job positions are being replaced by those that require more technical skills or education. Individuals who were forced to leave the job market are finding it very difficult to reenter the work force because they no longer possess the knowledge and skills employers require. Furthermore, new entrants into the work force also find themselves unprepared for the demand of entry-level jobs that require higher-level skills.
As a result, employers are struggling to fill open positions. More than half (53 percent) of U.S. companies report a major challenge in recruiting non-managerial employees with the skills and knowledge needed, despite the fact that unemployment is still near 8 percent and millions of individuals are looking for employment.
To remain competitive as a nation, we must address the gap between the knowledge and skills needed by employers and the number of available workers who meet those qualifications.
Research substantiates previous findings that show a significant gap between the skills employers need and the skills of high-school graduates. In a survey of more than 400 employers in the United States, 42 percent rated the overall preparation of high-school graduates for entry-level jobs as deficient — 73 percent rated their leadership skills lacking, 70 percent rated graduates deficient in both professionalism/work ethic and critical thinking/problem-solving, and 54 percent rated their creativity/innovation skills as inadequate.
The “skills-gap” exists in professions requiring higher-level skills, particularly careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and among jobs that are often referred to as “middle-skilled” occupations that require credentials between a high-school degree and a four-year college degree.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2007) estimates that between 40 percent and 45 percent of all job openings through 2016 will be in middle-skilled occupations. In a recent report by Corporate Voices, the authors argue that the focus on the attainment of four-year degrees ignores the demand for individuals who have a two-year associate degree and/or trade-specific credentials, which is critical for future work-force demands. Jobs requiring four-year degrees and jobs necessitating associate or trade-specific credentials are both necessary to fill the critical gaps in the current and future work force. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of job openings in the next decade will require some postsecondary education.
According to researchers, the skills-gap has two primary underlying causes — changing jobs and low levels of educational attainment. Jobs today require workers who possess more knowledge and proficiency in 21st century skills, such as teamwork, problem solving, and technology skills.
The use of digital communications and advanced information systems has enabled employers to have more workers who perform their jobs remotely. This change has facilitated growth in part-time and contingent employment in many fields and the hiring of inexpensive, increasingly high-quality talent from other countries.
Furthermore, the level of educational attainment is not keeping up with the number of skilled workers needed in this modern society. The need for a high-school diploma as a minimum is critical as jobs become more complex in a global economy and traditional jobs requiring less education are no longer in demand.
However, more than 18 million U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 64 have not graduated from high school and therefore do not qualify for most of the jobs in the current and future economy. The McKinsey Global Institute forecasts that there will be 5.9 million more high-school dropouts in 2020 than jobs available for workers with that level of education.
Further, while more than 70 percent of high-school graduates enroll in post-secondary education within two years, less than a third earn an associate degree within three years and only half complete bachelor’s degrees within six years. Of those attending college and vocational school, few are choosing fields of study that are high in demand. As a result, many occupations are likely to see potential shortages, including nutritionists, welders, nurses’ aides, computer specialists, and engineers. Currently, the number of graduates in the United States in STEM fields is increasing at only 0.8 percent each year, which will not keep up with the demand in the work force.
Junior Achievement: A real-world solution
Junior Achievement (JA) inspires and prepares young people to compete in a global economy. Through participation in JA programs, students see the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom and its application to the real world, acquire or enhance the skills they need to be successful in the work force or postsecondary institutions, and recognize the value of an education.
For students to acquire the knowledge and skills to be competitive in the work force, they must be taught how to apply their knowledge to real-world issues or problems. Unfortunately, most American schools are not organized for application or contextualized instruction, even though we know that when we teach students how to apply knowledge, they retain it and
perform well on tests.
Junior Achievement programs help bridge the gap between what students are learning in the classroom and the application of this knowledge to the real world by using curriculum that is focused on application and the principles of experiential learning.
Skills development
Junior Achievement equips students with skills that are critical to their successful participation in the work force and postsecondary education. Specifically, students in JA improve their 21st century skills, such as teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking. They also improve skills that will make them more competitive in the work force, including financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills.
According to a national survey of JA Alumni:
– 88 percent of Junior Achievement alumni report they are confident in their ability to manage their personal finances effectively, in comparison to 71 percent of those who did not have the benefit of the JA experience.
– JA students are more likely to own their business; 20 percent of respondents indicated that they own their own business, as opposed to 7 percent of the comparison group and 10 percent of the general population.
– 85 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that participation in Junior Achievement improved students’ decision-making skills and critical-thinking skills.
– While only 82 percent of non-JA respondents believe they can function well on a business team, 96 percent of JA alumni report that Junior Achievement made them confident about how to work effectively in a team environment.
The results, showing the myriad benefits from JA participation, speak for themselves.
Kathleen Harter is president of Junior Achievement of Central New York, Inc. JA has been providing financial literacy, workplace readiness, and entrepreneurship education to students in grades K-12 since 1966. Contact Harter at Kathy@ja-cny.org
State Mandates Revealed as Tax Cap Works
In the last state legislative session, we passed a property-tax cap. Largely, municipalities and school districts have stuck to the tax cap. According to a report from the governor’s office that was issued in September, 81 percent of local governments that reported a proposed levy stayed within the cap and 92 percent of schools kept
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In the last state legislative session, we passed a property-tax cap. Largely, municipalities and school districts have stuck to the tax cap. According to a report from the governor’s office that was issued in September, 81 percent of local governments that reported a proposed levy stayed within the cap and 92 percent of schools kept at or below the cap. With this new law, local governments cannot raise their levies by more than 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, each year unless taxpayers (in the event it is a school district) or local governments choose to override the cap with a vote.
Now that we have the tool of the tax cap in place, the next step is to reign in our many state mandates, which drive up property taxes and place huge burdens on our local governments and schools. Relieving our local governments and schools from these costly mandates will permit them to stay within the tax cap and likewise prevent huge increases in property taxes. These tax increases have proven to impede job and business growth time and again.
I’ve talked before about state mandates. It’s a cost or regulation that schools, counties, and local governments inherit as a result of state or federal law. Someone in Albany or in Washington has an idea, often with good intentions. What is not fully considered at the time these “improvements” pass is the associated costs, which localities are forced to pick up the tab.
The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) released a report recently that outlines recommendations for mandate relief. According to the report, counties in New York are required to pay for more than 40 state-mandated programs using local tax dollars. One of the ways mandate relief can be accomplished, the report makes clear, is to allow counties more decision-making power.
For example, New York has the most expensive Medicaid program in the nation. Last year in Albany, we were able to pass meaningful Medicaid reform, and slow the growth of Medicaid spending by passing a cap to reduce the counties’ contributions to the total program cost. This was a huge accomplishment, as many counties worried how they could keep pace with the rising costs. This cap will be fully effective in 2015 and freeze Medicaid costs for counties. But the study suggests further streamlining Medicaid so it’s more in line with other states, and giving counties more choices on determining health services that meet federal mandates.
NYSAC also suggests reforming eligibility, as more health-care options become available through the federal government’s Affordable Care Act. New York currently provides Medicaid coverage to populations that exceed the new federal income thresholds as well. The report also suggests streamlining transportation for preschoolers and allowing counties to have coordination among school districts and parents.
As we look forward to the upcoming session in January, one of my goals is to build on the success of last year. Last spring we were able to consolidate, merge, or eliminate nearly 30 government agencies and offices. We also closed $13.5 billion in budget shortfalls over two years without raising taxes. The legislature also addressed pension reform, as a new Tier VI passed. I’m hopeful that this year we can add to this more sensible financial path we’ve begun and repeal many of these unfounded mandates.
William (Will) A. Barclay is the Deputy Minority Leader in the New York Assembly and the Republican representative of the 124th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of Oswego and Onondaga counties, including Oswego, Fulton, Camillus, and Skaneateles. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or call (315) 598-5185.
This election campaign brings to mind a haberdasher. A guy going broke selling men’s clothing. It brings to mind aristocrats. And, army generals, an engineer, and farmers. And, don’t forget professors. If you think about our presidents as young men, these occupations must come up. They performed this work — before they took on the job
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This election campaign brings to mind a haberdasher. A guy going broke selling men’s clothing. It brings to mind aristocrats. And, army generals, an engineer, and farmers. And, don’t forget professors.
If you think about our presidents as young men, these occupations must come up. They performed this work — before they took on the job of running a country. Before they assumed the job in which they shaped destinies of billions of people around the world.
Truman knew farming. He knew men’s clothing. He felt the pains of struggling in a business until he and the business were broke. He suffered a mother-in-law who voted for the other candidate.
In the White House, he made some of the most momentous decisions in the history of humanity. His was an extra-ordinary presidency. In many ways, he was extra-ordinary. And in many ways, ordinary. An ordinary guy. He played poker in the White House.
At one point, an old pal from his haberdasher days stopped by — to urge him to have this country recognize Israel at its birth. One ordinary guy, tears streaming down his cheeks, begging another ordinary guy — begging him to make such a huge and controversial decision.
Such things happen here. I met a man who was among the few allowed to visit Reagan in hospital after he was shot. He was an old pal of the President’s. He was a regular guy, who made furniture. He had been one of the Midwest small-town guys who raised money to buy young Reagan a wardrobe — back when he decided to take his chances in Hollywood.
Yes, so many of our presidents are politicians from their toenails to the hair on their head. By the time they reach the White House they are, but so many of them spent years as ordinary folks.
Hoover worked as an engineer. Eisenhower banged around the military for years, many as a junior officer. Carter managed his peanut farm. Reagan broadcast baseball games. Later he ran a trade union. Bush the Second ran an oil business, then a baseball club.
Of course, aristocrats have graced the office as well. JFK was one. As was FDR. And, Bush the First, in a way. And, some of our presidents have been politicians for most of their working lives. I suspect Clinton began practicing politics in his crib. When he was a boy, some of LBJ’s relatives seriously suggested he would be president.
Our founders rejected kings. They scorned the idea that power should be absolute. And, that it might be passed along to family members. They recognized that people who enjoy power often get tastes for it so strong as to turn them into tyrants. Knowing this, George Washington insisted he not be treated as royalty. Our early leaders wanted former presidents to slip back into ordinary lives. Among the people they once ruled.
Ours don’t do that these days. They get special treatment until they die. But still, we kick ‘em out. We the people. We search for the next one — be he or she a baker, a candlestick maker. Or, a community organizer cum professor. Or, a venture capitalist/businessman.
From Tom…as in Morgan.
Tom Morgan writes about financial, political, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and new TV show. For more information about him, visit his website at www.tomasinmorgan.com
Net income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders at KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) totaled $214 million in the third quarter, down from $229 million a
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