Preparing Students for the Global Workforce
by Linda Mann
The Global Employability Initiative continued to advance global teaching and learning for Indiana students and educators through the launch of Ivy Tech Community College’s new Global Workforce Skills Certificate and virtual workshops for Career & Technical Education teachers statewide. Both projects reflect our mission and showcase the strength of international business and cultural networks that already exist within our state. Over 1,000 multinational businesses representing nearly 40 countries and territories support 193,000 Indiana jobs.
The Indiana Commission of Higher Education approval in August 2020 of the Global Workforce Skills Certificate is the culmination of many years of successful collaboration with Ivy Tech Community College faculty and administrators. This Certificate will provide Ivy Tech students with a well-rounded curriculum to build global competence in the areas of communications and culture; global economy, international business, and the global workplace; and global awareness. As a standalone credential, this curriculum aligns with identified employer priorities for the Indiana and national workforces.
During 2020, two new Ivy Tech courses were created as required curriculum for the Certificate: a foundational introductory course on global Indiana and a global capstone course. The certificate builds on the ongoing internationalization and strengths of the departments of Business, Logistics, Education, Human Services, Agriculture, Hospitality, Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, History and Political Science. Housed in the School of Business, project team members are working to make it available at all 18 of the Ivy Tech campuses around the state. In 2021, the initiative will support a marketing and promotional campaign to raise awareness among students and employers of this new credential.
A second focus for the Global Employability Initiative was offering two virtual workshops for Career and Technical Education and K-12 teachers throughout the state. The “Preparing Students for the Global Workforce: Global Competencies for Career and Technical Education Programs” professional development sessions provided an overview of global competencies, uses of technology, and new resources that easily adapt for classrooms, whether face to face or online.
Workshop facilitator Dr. Heather Singmaster, Director at the Center for Global Education at Asia Society, interpreted domains of global competence and their use in lesson development. Teachers had the opportunity to initiate a classroom lesson plan and discuss ideas with colleagues through the use of Zoom breakout rooms. The virtual format allowed teachers from diverse regions of the state to participate, without the need for travel.
In a post-workshop survey, educators gave especially positive feedback for content that focused on integrating global competencies into K-12 curriculum, academic standards and employability skills standards, and the opportunity to discuss with colleagues. Other unique resources were featured in presentations by Christine Everett (CIBER), Eli Konwest (CGC) and Elly Cohen (CGC).
Direct quotes from teachers about their favorite aspects of the CTE workshops are included on this page.
This year’s partners in hosting the virtual workshops were Hoosier Hills Career Center and McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology. We deeply appreciated their collaboration in networking, scheduling, and promoting the workshops for teachers statewide.
