Please keep in mind, at one point, the blackboard was a new “technology”. However, with respect to the tech tsunami, “computer” technology will continue to increase into all industry sectors, while soft skills, reading, writing, math and computer technology are all basic skills.
To that extent, computer technology will evolve and become more industry specific. Given this coming technological specialization, regional economic development efforts will need to ride the tech tsunami through industry specialization. Agriculture or AgTech in Memphis is an example of a qualified economic development industry growth target.
From a talent pipeline development standpoint, as a common language staple, industrial occupational demand should drive educational programming and academically aligned career planning for ALL students. Common language communication between professionally diverse stakeholders, as informed by data, is the bedrock that supports regional workforce development implementation.
Unlike other areas of the country that are struggling with an aging workforce, Memphis has an economic development asset in its youthful population when compared to municipal peers. Unfortunately, this economic asset has been systemically ignored in Memphis, through disconnected workforce development programming while not prioritizing the community college system.
As communities throughout the country prioritize their local community college system to accelerate and increase post-secondary completion rates, Memphis instead, has prioritized its 4 yr University of Memphis (UofM) public university.
Evidence of this comes in the form of local appropriations for UofM tennis courts and swimming pools, while the UofM partners with the local EDGE industrial development board and advocates for taxpayer losing tax abatements. These actions negatively impact local educational funding and come after the 2016 installation of a local corporate UofM Board of Trustees.
Sadly, this is a strategic economic development nightmare and miscalculation of MAMMOTH proportion. As a result, post-secondary completions fell in Shelby County by 827 or 7% in 2019. This reveals that Memphis is not strategically leveraging a key economic development asset in its youthful population. And this decline in completions is not good when Shelby County resides at the bottom of their peer group in post-secondary completions per 1K population.
Conclusion and Solution
So, an overall solution to riding the tech tsunami, is a demand and data driven curriculum, that informs common language supported career planning and skill development in the academic curriculum.
Based on regional occupational demand data, the curriculum naturally promotes alternatives to 4 yr degrees to accelerate and increase post-secondary completion rates. This promotion will better satisfy labor market demand as shown in the above “Success in the New Economy” video. Watch for the 1:2:7 ratio in the above video.
And finally, funding wrap around services for disadvantaged students should be prioritized to help increase completion rates as opposed to university tennis courts and swimming pools. The former alternatives would further promote career pathways that include 4 yr degrees and beyond as part of a lifelong learning continuum.