Educational Programs

Opinion: Universities Don’t Prepare Students for Freelance Life (and They Should)

Sofía García-Bullé

By: Sofía García-Bullé

Universities should prepare students for independent work and the gig economy.

The labor market has been transformed in the last decade to such an extent that today, self-employment and independent workforce dominate its structure. Recruitment and staff management practices are pointing to a severe reduction in permanent job positions. The backbone of the workforce today is made up of freelancers, also known as independent or autonomous workers.

In Mexico, 14 million people are classified as self-employed or freelancers; in India, they totaled 15 million in 2016 and the number is currently estimated to 20 million; in the United States, self-employed workers number up to 57 million. As for the share of their respective national economies, the informal Mexican workforce produced 22.7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during 2018; US freelancers contributed 1.3 trillion dollars; amounting to 6.7% of GDP (2018), and in India, the informal labor market is estimated to grow from 20 to 30 trillion rupees by 2025.

Despite the steady growth of global independent workforces, there is still no formal effort in universities to prepare students for the freelance life and the gig economy. True, there are many educational courses and programs focused on instructing and inspiring young people to start their own businesses as entrepreneurs. The problem is that often, educational institutions do not discern that undertaking their own business is not the same as working independently.

The difference between an entrepreneur and a freelancer

An entrepreneur is a person who starts a company and takes financial risks intending to make economic profits; a freelancer is an independent professional who offers his/her services by projects to a specific company or organization.

In theory, the definitions look very different; in practice, not so much. Both figures, the entrepreneur and the freelancer, have to make their own schedules, respond to their clients, manage their finances, and in some cases, manage staff. The biggest difference would be that the entrepreneur owns and is responsible for the business, while the freelancer is an outsourced person who operates independently. This is why the preparation given to each one should also be different. What skills should a freelancer possess to have a successful career in the non-traditional workforce?

The skills of a good freelancer

The road to any successful career trajectory begins by learning and knowing yourself. The starting point for a stable platform of independent work is to know which skillsets are useful in the chosen workforce, to investigate how much they are worth in economic terms, which companies are soliciting people with those skills, and whether the skills will continue to have value in the future.

Mastering the formation of business relationships or “networking” is crucial to maintaining stable sources of work in the independent sphere; to achieve this, constancy and cultivation of emotional intelligence are indispensable tools. Time management and task organization are also vital to ensure a manageable workflow that allows tending to multiple projects at one time and maximizing the profits of the freelancer.

Independent work has the advantage of allowing the freelancer to manage their time as they see fit, but the disadvantage is not having the stability of a plant job. Many freelancers live on unequal income receipts that they must distribute throughout the year. For this reason, financial education should be an essential subject for all people who want to pursue independence and work as a freelancer.

Knowing how to sell and value their own work would help self-employed workers to make a profit commensurate with the time they invest and the quality of their work. To stay up to date, independent workers need to commit to lifelong continuing education to provide themselves with new skills and increase the economic value of their work.

These are all notions that most freelancers learn on the fly, but these considerations are not included in programs of higher education. Most of the efforts of educational institutions focus on the formal labor market, with things such as job fairs, entrepreneurial startups, business incubators, grants, and networking events.

What are the areas of opportunity for universities?

It would be wrong to say that universities have made no effort to prepare students for the independent job market; however, these initiatives need a wider lens. Most of the educational bodies that offer training outside the formal labor market focus on business professionals and entrepreneurs.

Today, one of the most populated markets in the freelancer sphere is computer science, which encompasses cybersecurity, equipment repair, technical support, and so on. Due to the constant need for information systems and equipment in companies, these careers have a very close relationship with business and entrepreneurship. However, writing, editing, and proofreading (or correction of proofs) are more perceived as niche services, despite the growing need for content that establishes a brand presence. Universities have therefore failed to see the need to educate professionals in this area for the management of self-employment and freelance work.

There are many agreements between companies and universities to help students integrate into independent work. Still, there are very few associations that higher education institutions have intending to connect students to project work, give them an idea of how to value their work and point them to which companies have best practices and more job opportunities.

Until independent work is regarded as a widespread trend, students will not be well prepared for the management of self-employment and will have fewer tools to assure themselves opportunities for the non-traditional workforce.

Source: https://observatory.tec.mx/edu-news/universities-do-not-prepare-students-for-freelance-professional-life

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United States: DeVos’s ineptitude demonstrates how little America cares for its public schools

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United States / March 24, 2018/Dailycampus

Resumen: Una reciente entrevista de 60 minutos con la Secretaria de Educación, Betsy DeVos, reveló cuán inadecuado es el Secretario para el puesto. DeVos, entrevistado por Lesley Stahl, no respondió varias preguntas, incluso sobre escuelas en su estado natal de Michigan. Por ejemplo, cuando se le preguntó si las escuelas de Michigan habían mejorado debido a las escuelas charter, DeVos no pudo responder. Ella también admitió que no ha visitado escuelas de bajo rendimiento. La ignorancia y la completa falta de preparación mostrada por DeVos durante su entrevista son simplemente inaceptables para un Secretario de Educación.

A recent 60 Minutes interview featuring Education Secretary Betsy DeVos revealed just how unfit the Secretary is for the position. DeVos, interviewed by Lesley Stahl, failed to answer several questions, including ones regarding schools within her home state of Michigan. For instance, when asked whether Michigan’s schools have improved due to charter schools, DeVos was unable to answer. She also admitted that she has not visited underperforming schools. The ignorance and complete lack of preparation displayed by DeVos during her interview is simply unacceptable for an Education Secretary.

Numerous scholars have also expressed disappointment with DeVos; Claire Smrekar, a professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, told The Atlantic that DeVos’s interview “demonstrates…an appalling lack of understanding of some public fundamental principles and practices related to public education. America’s students deserve much better than this. Public education is one of the most important issues that we face today, and proper leadership is required to navigate America through the difficult problem of improving schools. The fact that the Trump administration nominated someone so unqualified for this job indicates that they do not care about improving public education; they only care about undermining public schools in favor of charter/private schools.

Secretary DeVos’s main idea for improving education in the United States is to use public funds on charter and private schools instead of using funds to improve public education. A Washington Post article from early Thursday morning reveals that DeVos wanted to cut funding for programs that help kids in need and programs that help low income students reach college in order to procure $1 billion to fund charter, magnet and private schools. This is misguided because public schools are the cornerstone of American education; everyone has access to them, and purposefully keeping funds from them in order to favor institutions which only wealthier students are able to attend means that students from low income families are especially harmed. Thankfully, Congress rejected DeVos’s budget plan and instead chose to support increasing funding to her department by $3.9 billion.

Senator Patty Murray commented on DeVos’s ideas, saying “After more than a year on the job, I would have hoped Secretary DeVos would have learned by now that her extreme ideas to privatize our nation’s public schools and dismantle the Department of Education do not have support among parents or in Congress”; it is hopeful that Congress came together to reject DeVos’s radical ideas on education and that they still have faith in America’s public school system. Privatizing schools in America is not the solution to providing quality education to everyone; education should remain public and free for all students. Education is a right, not a privilege, and low income students should not be at a disadvantage. The fact that DeVos wanted to end programs that help low income students achieve their college goals in favor of using public funds for charter/private schools that are for wealthier students is inexcusable, and against the American Dream. All students in America should have an equal opportunity to achieve success, and education is crucial to that.

Charter schools are not even necessarily better than their public counterparts. In DeVos’s home state of Michigan, for example (which has more charter schools than any other state), charter schools underperform,with English scores from students between third and eighth grades dropping. If the state with the highest number of charter schools has schools that underperform, then perhaps they are not all that different from public schools after all. If this is the case, ripping funding away from public schools is not justified. Thus, keeping education a public institution is necessary. If Betsy DeVos really wants to help American students, she must realize this.

Fuente: http://dailycampus.com/stories/2018/3/23/devoss-ineptitude-demonstrates-how-little-america-cares-for-its-public-schools

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EEUU: Northwest Arkansas schools expand health care education to meet demand

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EEUU/March 13, 2018/Source: http://www.nwaonline.com/

Higher education institutions are increasing class sizes and starting programs to meet the growing need for health care workers in Northwest Arkansas, school officials said.

«We believe we are addressing the workforce shortage — not just in Arkansas — but specifically, the increased need that is projected for Northwest Arkansas,» said Stephanie Gardner, interim chancellor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Fastest growing in Arkansas

The fastest-growing occupation through 2024 is projected to be occupational therapy assistants with a 54 percent growth. Physical therapist aides are expected to grow by 45 percent, and physical therapist assistants are expected to see 42 percent growth over the same time period.

Source: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Northwest Arkansas is among the fastest growing areas in the nation and is expected to reach 800,000 people by 2040, according to a 2016 report by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. That growth means more health care professionals and support staff members are needed, said Mervin Jebaraj, director at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas.

The region also has an aging population, more access to insurance than previous years and more health care workers nearing retirement, Jebaraj said. The combination is driving the need for more workers, he said.

The Northwest Arkansas metropolitan statistical area — which includes Benton, Washington and Madison counties in Arkansas and McDonald County, Mo. — will need about 1,000 medical professionals and 800 support staff annually through 2028, Rob Smith, Northwest Arkansas Council communications and policy director, wrote in an email. From 2015 to 2016, about 1,024 people became health care staff or professionals, he wrote.

The council is a group of business and community leaders who attract businesses to Northwest Arkansas and improve the area’s workforce.

Statewide, about 15,000 health-care-related jobs have been created since 2014, Jebaraj said. That increase is expected to continue.

«We’ve seen health care jobs across the state and in Northwest Arkansas go up significantly,» Jebaraj said.

Health care technicians, practitioners and support specialist jobs are expected to grow in Benton and Washington counties by nearly 5 percent between 2016 and 2018, according to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services. That’s above the statewide prediction of 3.6 percent over the same time period.

«What’s encouraging is that many of our region’s school districts are actively addressing our need for those health care support staff,» Smith said. «There’s a real willingness to be active creators of new programs.»

Expanding with need

Educational programs, from bachelor’s degrees to nine-week certificates, are growing among Northwest Arkansas institutions. The schools are partnering to funnel students into more education.

UAMS and Northwest Arkansas Community College are working on an early acceptance agreement for the community college’s students to go directly into the Radiologic Imaging Sciences program at the university’s campus in Fayetteville.

The University of Arkansas and UAMS are offering a new occupational therapy doctorate program. The first students in the program will arrive during the 2019 school year, said Fran W. Hagstrom, assistant dean for the UA College of Education and Health Professions.

That joint-venture works in part because UAMS started a physical therapy program that could become a pipeline for other programs, Hagstrom said. The first cohort of physical therapy students at UAMS graduate in May, which means the new program is on target for professional accreditation, said Susan Long, interim dean of the UAMS College of Health Professions.

Schools are working together, including hospitals and clinics that accept more students to train, said Jamin Snarr, EMS program director at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

«Everybody kind of stepped up to help us out and allowed us to increase our student numbers,» Snarr said.

NWACC agreed in November to accept licensed practical nurse graduates from Northwest Technical Institute into its registered nursing program early. About 50 nursing students at the technical school are expected to graduate this May and be eligible for the early admittance.

«It’s just a pathway from Northwest Technical Institute to further their nursing career with higher degrees,» said Blake Robertson, institute president.

Hospitals in particular are looking for more education among its employees, Robertson said.

The shortage of health care professionals includes paramedics, Snarr said.

The employee turnover rate at Central Emergency Medical Service, an ambulance service that covers nearly all of Washington County, was about 17 percent last year. Officials with Central EMS and fire departments have said they struggle to find, recruit and keep paramedics.

That shortage is why the community college accepted 25 students, instead of the usual 18, into the paramedic program this spring, Snarr said. The school plans to expand to 34 students until the shortage is over, he said.

The institute plans to begin a short-term phlebotomy program starting next fall.

UAMS continues to grow in the area. It is assessing whether to start a sonography program and wants more students in radiological imaging sciences, Gardner said. The master’s degree in genetic counseling program is growing to eight students, and four of those students will be at the Northwest campus.

The competition

Schools are trying to expand while continuing to give students quality education and find space, officials said. But, there is a bottleneck at the education level, Jebaraj said.

The University of Arkansas gets about 400 applications for 100 student spots per semester, Hagstrom said.

«That’s not uncommon among health professionals at all,» she said.

For example, 261 people applied for 36 slots in the UAMS physician assistant program this year, according to the school. The ratio for speech language pathology is even worse — 151 applications for about 20 spots.

Competition among students is stiff, Robertson said.

Last semester, the institute moved students in its nursing and surgical technology programs into a bigger classroom and laboratory, but it’s not enough, Robertson said. The school needs more space, and applications are on the rise.

«We turn away good students because we just don’t have the space,» Robertson said.

Robertson asked the state for a $3.5 million grant to double the size of its center for health care programs about a year ago but didn’t get the money, he said. He plans to ask the governor again, he said.

Schools inevitably must accept more students, but growth should be done so class sizes don’t overwhelm instructors and students still get the education they expect, Hagstrom said. Decisions on growth are up to the schools, she said.

«Can we expand? Absolutely,» Hagstrom said about the University of Arkansas. «And, I think we will see some expansion of programs in the coming years.»

Source:

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2018/mar/11/northwest-arkansas-schools-expand-healt/?news

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