Calumet College of St. Joseph Invites Blair Milo to Speak on “The Employment Picture”

Calumet College of St. Joseph Invites Blair Milo to Speak on “The Employment Picture”

As the world continues to embrace technological advances in the workforce such as 3D- printing and robot-maintained restaurants, it is safe to say that these advancements have slowly started to take the place of the human that previously held that position. Simply put, the workforce is transforming as we speak. Students in high school as well as college are being prepared for the workforce as it simultaneously evolves. Now more than ever, it is crucial that professors and teachers at universities, colleges, and high schools know exactly where it is evolving to guide students to their next step.

As part of their three-day faculty preparation intensive series, the Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting invited Blair Milo, current Secretary of Career Connections and Talent for the State of Indiana and former Mayor of La Porte, to be the featured guest speaker.

Whiting Mayor Joseph Stahura and Linda Woloshansky, CEO and President at Center of Workforce Innovations, were also present to engage in the conversation.

Milo’s focus was “The Employment Picture” in Indiana, and how improvements can be made if everyone is on the same page about what exactly that picture is.

Dr. Amy McCormack, president at Calumet College of St. Joseph, spoke about the event's details.

“It’s faculty welcome week, so we spend three days with the faculty before the start of the semester,” McCormack said. “This section today is definitely focused on market analysis and reviewing alumni pathways and how their education has helped them in the workforce.”

McCormack emphasized the point of the day’s discussion.

“It’s about what the faculty are doing, and how alumni often say it’s their relationship with the faculty that was so important to them,” McCormack said.

Secretary Milo shared her analyzations regarding workforce and talent needs for the state of Indiana. The event was designed to guide faculty to teach students with these ever-changing needs in mind.

Milo began her presentation by asking everyone to stand up and do arm circles with her. Her reason: to energize the faculty after lunch to mentally prepare them for the detailed and informative presentation ahead.

Her passion for innovative and improved structures in the workforce within Indiana shimmered throughout the room.

Milo referred to a leaking pipe line as the example of a student’s pathway from high school to career. She explained that there are leaks in the education system, referring to a lack of experience and workforce education programs that push students to seek a better future.

“The exciting discussion today is looking more at the solution overall,” Milo said. “How do we address the students within the pipeline to make sure we are closing those gaps, connecting our workers up with the different types of great upcoming opportunity? How are we ensuring that we aren’t just solving today’s problem but looking ahead so we have a system that is able to adapt to the changes that are happening at a much more rapid pace?”

A few of the solutions Milo mentioned included Graduation Pathway and Earn and Learn programs. These programs provide a taste of financial success alongside an educational experience and encourage students to implement the mindset to continuously ask and discover what’s next.

Calumet College of St. Joseph continues to guide and educate their faculty on the present stance of the workforce in Indiana. Leaders at the school have succeeded and continuously prepare to lead their students in the right direction. If you are interested in the Calumet College of St. Joseph, go to https://www.ccsj.edu/.