Future Force Forum - We're in the News!

Assignment

Context	Welcome! The participants here today have many different backgrounds, needs, and visions for economic development, workforce development, business, and education in Nebraska. This assignment looks towards the future when these viewpoints have been integrated into a successful plan for the future of Nebraska, and your work has become the model for the entire country. The key questions are, How was that success achieved? What are the elements in the model? What are you doing today (2011) that has made you so successful?
Objective	The year is 2011. The work begun here back in 2006 is being featured in several major magazines. Each of these magazines has dedicated an entire issue to your sharing the story of your success. Your task is to identify the feature articles and sidebars of each magazine that tell the story. Right now you are creating the table of contents of the entire magazine’s story. Just as your work will be collaborative and cross the lines of several disciplines, so should the stories. As with all great success stories, there may be periods of struggle that you overcome through innovation and perseverance. Use your imagination, and remember that these stories look back from the future perspective on your work of the last five years. The magazines are: Workforce Today Education Nation Nebraska Economics Innovate! The National Journal of Partnering Economic Development Weekly Time
Process	Individual Activity Add items to each table of contents for these magazines. Discuss what you’ve written with at least one person you don’t know, and listen to their description of what they wrote.
Exchange	Discuss your contribution to the table of contents with someone else in the room, preferably someone that you have not met before.

Workforce Today \| An Example for Us All How Nebraska has taken a radically successful approach to learning in order to meet the workforce needs of tomorrow.	Education Nation \| Nebraska Earns an A+ Nebraska changes the dynamics of how students, teachers, parents and employers work together.
Innovate! \| Innovation at Work and School Innovating to success in the schools and businesses of Americas heartland.	Nebraska Economics \| The Grand Experiment has Worked! Changing Focus: Nebraska is heralded for overturning the nations most significant workforce exodus
The National Journal of Partnering \| Nebraskas Key for Success Nebraska uses partnerships as the foundation for effective change.	Economic Development Weekly \| Make Room for Big Ideas If you think ethanol is revolutionary, wait until you see what Nebraska is doing with education and economic
Time \| The Nebraska Miracle How Nebraska turned an economic disaster into the new model for the heartland
top of page Debrief Michael Kaufman: What patterns do you see among these boards? Collaboration Technology A better Nebraska Innovation Partnerships Retention of workforce WIllingness to take risks Connecting people through technology Evolution Desire for change and in some cases, an urgency for change Funding Fewer boundaries Michael: What kind of feeling do you get when you look at some of these statements? Opportunity to build something better Better quality of life We're on the same page Progress Lack of reference to the government. We were successful almost In spite of no government support. Michael: Anything that surprised you? There is a lack of young people in the room Also, a lack of diversity Michael: Other comments: I wonder if you proposed the same questions to young people, what the answer would be. We could be seeing a huge change from the younger generation. There's not much said about the radically changing demographics of our state. And nothing about the achievement gap. We all know how important government is, but we know they can't take care of all the problems. How do we share the good news with each other what's going on? It seems that we need to reeducate parents. So how do we get through the transition? Michael: Whatever you all come up with and any change in general you need a change management plan. You need a group to shepherd the process along. top of page

Workforce Today \| An Example for Us All How Nebraska has taken a radically successful approach to learning in order to meet the workforce needs of tomorrow.	Education Nation \| Nebraska Earns an A+ Nebraska changes the dynamics of how students, teachers, parents and employers work together.
Innovate! \| Innovation at Work and School Innovating to success in the schools and businesses of Americas heartland.	Nebraska Economics \| The Grand Experiment has Worked! Changing Focus: Nebraska is heralded for overturning the nations most significant workforce exodus
The National Journal of Partnering \| Nebraskas Key for Success Nebraska uses partnerships as the foundation for effective change.	Economic Development Weekly \| Make Room for Big Ideas If you think ethanol is revolutionary, wait until you see what Nebraska is doing with education and economic
Time \| The Nebraska Miracle How Nebraska turned an economic disaster into the new model for the heartland
top of page Debrief Michael Kaufman: What patterns do you see among these boards? Collaboration Technology A better Nebraska Innovation Partnerships Retention of workforce WIllingness to take risks Connecting people through technology Evolution Desire for change and in some cases, an urgency for change Funding Fewer boundaries Michael: What kind of feeling do you get when you look at some of these statements? Opportunity to build something better Better quality of life We're on the same page Progress Lack of reference to the government. We were successful almost In spite of no government support. Michael: Anything that surprised you? There is a lack of young people in the room Also, a lack of diversity Michael: Other comments: I wonder if you proposed the same questions to young people, what the answer would be. We could be seeing a huge change from the younger generation. There's not much said about the radically changing demographics of our state. And nothing about the achievement gap. We all know how important government is, but we know they can't take care of all the problems. How do we share the good news with each other what's going on? It seems that we need to reeducate parents. So how do we get through the transition? Michael: Whatever you all come up with and any change in general you need a change management plan. You need a group to shepherd the process along. top of page