Career Pathways:
Making the Math Work

A Problem Years in the Making
The energy and utilities industry are confronting the same rapidly shifting talent landscape as other industries. Consider also that 50 percent of the utilities workforce is set to retire over the next decade, and how that retirement wave will not only create a mass of open positions but will also result in the future workforce losing critical knowledge. Given the wide variety of employees in this industry, from field workers to customer service representatives, and from traditional corporate employees to the emerging new clean energy workforce, energy and utilities organizations are even more susceptible to the impacts of these shifts.
Investment in long-term solutions is the only way to overcome barriers that were years in the making.
Compounding the Problem
As the New York Times recently reported, “Polls, enrollment statistics, social media posts and education economists agree: We are seeing a growing skepticism of college among many American teenagers and their parents.”
Statistics around college enrollment play this out with 40% of high school graduates in the US choosing the path of not attending a 4-year college or university.
But, where do they go? And could they fill the growing number of positions within the utility industry that do not require a college degree?
The answer: Not without robust workforce development systems that include career pathways solutions and start early in students’ educational journeys.
It is imperative that robust workforce development systems are built to:
- Identify future talent outside of the typical post-college path
- Anticipate the growth of the sector’s workforce need
- Support a healthy talent pipeline inherent in a multigenerational workforce like those found in the public utilities sector
The Math Doesn't Work
How to Make the Math Work: A Q & A
As the New York Times recently reported, “Polls, enrollment statistics, social media posts and education economists agree: We are seeing a growing skepticism of college among many American teenagers and their parents.”
Statistics around college enrollment play this out with 40% of high school graduates in the US choosing the path of not attending a 4-year college or university. Where do they go? And could they fill the growing number of positions within the utility industry that do not require a college degree?
How to Populate the Pathway: A Solution
A Problem Years in the Making
The energy and utilities industry are confronting the same rapidly shifting talent landscape as other industries. Consider also that 50 percent of the utilities workforce is set to retire over the next decade, and how the retirement wave will create a mass loss of field technicians, operators, engineers, managers, supervisors, clerical and administrative staff, which will result in the future workforce losing critical knowledge. Given the wide variety of employees in this industry, from field workers to customer service representatives, from traditional corporate employees to the emerging new clean energy workforce, energy and utilities organizations are even more susceptible to the impacts of these shifts. Investment in long-term solutions is the only way to overcome barriers that were years in the making.
It is imperative that robust workforce development systems are built to:
- Identify future talent outside of the typical post-college path
- Anticipate the growth of the sector’s workforce need
- Support a healthy talent pipeline inherent in a multigenerational workforce like those found in the public utilities sector
Theatre as a Teaching Tool:
Teacher Comments Backed Up by Research
The verdict is in!
Teachers from across Illinois, Missouri, South Carolina and Idaho who have received the Land of Smiles educational outreach program sponsored by Delta Dental and presented by The National Theatre for Children have responded with high praise.
Here are a few snippets of teacher comments:
“Much better than a lecture.”
“It was a fun way to get the students engaged and learning about how to take care of their teeth.”
“The presenters were very engaging and entertaining. All of the children were focused and definitely remember the importance of proper dental hygiene.”
“This program was phenomenal!! The students were highly engaged and enjoyed learning about teeth and dental care in such a lively and fun way.”
Teachers, of course, are not wrong.
Their praise of Land of Smiles, which uses theatre and storytelling as teaching tools, play out in multiple studies on the human brain, especially when it comes to retention.
20 years of research have found: The human brain is about 22 times more likely to remember facts that are presented in the form of a story, than if those facts are just presented outright.
22 times more!
That’s more than significant. It’s amazing.
When humans are simply told information as a list of facts, they retain only about 5-10 percent of it. Hence, we are always saying, “let me refer back to my notes” or “let me write that down so I remember it.” Yet, humans will remember 65-70 percent of a story. No notes or writing it down necessary. It’s how our brains work.
This also holds true with retention over time. As humans, we remember stories longer than we remember simple facts and figures. If you can embed those simple facts into a story, you have a powerful teaching tool.
The appeal of a story to connect to our human brains not only with information but with emotion as well, makes it memorable and meaningful for those engaged with the story. This connection also makes a longer lasting impression. It is why story-based learning, especially when trying to instill behavior change, is such a highly effective tool.
As organizational psychologist and leading storytelling expert, Dr. Peg C. Neuhauser puts it:
“…stories allow a person to feel and see the information as well as factually understand it … because you ‘hear’ the information factually, visually, and emotionally it is more likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that it sticks with you longer with very little effort on your part…”
That part about “very little effort” is where, as a teaching tool, storytelling goes beyond just another method of relaying information. It becomes powerful. Learning through story doesn’t feel like learning, even though it enhances understanding, comprehension, and retention.
When the audience of school-age children watch Land of Smiles, they are not excited and engaged because they are learning how to properly brush and floss their teeth. They are engaged by the characters, plot, humor, costumes, props, and dialogue that is woven into the story that is unfolding in front of them. But, funny enough, they also learn the importance of good oral health and how to properly brush and floss their teeth. They also remember those things longer than if they were just told those same things in a lecture. In fact, as already stated, 22 times more. All with very little effort on their part.
This is all to say that the verdict is indeed in. Backed up by teacher feedback. Backed up by studies of the human brain. Backed up by leading researchers and experts. Learning through story works.
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