Читать книгу Creative Synergy - Bunny Paine-Clemes - Страница 13

Because of the “flat world” mentioned above, we will have to learn to use our human resources wisely. Outsourcing and offshoring mean that jobs in the developed world are moving—to India, to Indonesia, and anywhere that the same job can be done more cheaply and efficiently. How can we compete in the new global economy?

Peter D. Hart Research Associates asked this question of US employers. In 2006 the firm interviewed 305 employers with a staff of at least twenty-five and conducted focus groups with executives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Fairfax, Virginia; and Atlanta, Georgia. Overwhelmingly, these employers said that they wanted to hire new workers who had the “soft skills” provided by a liberal education: among them, teamwork (76%), oral and written communication skills (73%), critical thinking and analytical skills (70%), the ability to be innovative and think creatively (70%), and the ability to solve complex problems (64%). In addition, employers felt that colleges did not place enough emphasis on the same above-mentioned skills.⁸ [Author’s emphasis] I got a similar message from the industry advisory board of Cal State Maritime in January 2001. Using the material in this book in a classroom or workshop setting will access all of these skills; simply reading the book will, obviously, help with creativity skills.