Meeting The Challenges of The New Workforce

Today, there are typical scenarios for the average college student.

An individual goes to school and learns the theory regarding their field of interest that they would like to pursue. However, only 13% of high schools have a career readiness curriculum or program and up to 30% of students do not start an internship until after they graduate. (Chegg) This is usually because most discover that they lack career experience and lack hands-on learning, and even with the illustrious degree in hand; most are given an entry-level position and placed in that classic queue of career climbers seeking to prove themselves qualified for the next position. Only after this grueling period of gaining experience and securing greater levels of professional competency can they finally hope to get that coveted position that they went to school for in the first place. Does this sound familiar? OR: 

• In yet another scenario, many discover after the fact, that what they thought they wanted to do, wasn’t what they had in mind.
• Then there are those that even though they have the best of intentions, some things don’t work out the way they had initially planned. 

Source: Burningglass Technologies

While there are some fields that fare better than others, regrettably, many face career planning with a bit of trepidation because we have all experienced that the future can be uncertain.

We at Pole Star Experiential Learning understand the challenges of our day and realize that the antiquated model that has been followed for the past century is not well equipped to cope with the challenging landscape of today's workplace and keep up with the pace of the technological advances that are needed to meet global demand. Let's face it, change has been slow, yet the demands that come from the threats that we face today need to be addressed much faster in order to survive and thrive.

Pole Star Experiential Learning is poised to bridge the gap between the disparities that the demands of our digitized age place on graduates and the career strengths that individuals think they have and what employers have reported. The traditional teaching styles that many secondary educational systems utilize today are not always capable of creating the competencies required in today's market. We believe that experience is the key to creating a professional that is ready to take on challenges, adapt to a continually changing environment, and is skilled in many other leadership capabilities. These are the reasons why we work from an online platform that allows anyone from anywhere to train in a safe environment where they feel most comfortable. Participation requires only a capable internet connection and readily available tools like a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Interns can then bring what they have, meaning their skills, abilities, aptitudes, attitude, and knowledge, to the team and give us the opportunity to jumpstart their competency-based skill sets and give them some of the experience that employers seek.

When applying for that new job, how does anyone gain the experience necessary to qualify for a primary position in the first place? 

“Internships are a great way to get experience before you apply for that job that you have little to no experience in.” 

Source: The Muse

According to Internships.com, an internship provides numerous perks, like gaining the necessary experience, developing the skills, making those connections, strengthening a resume, learning about a favorite career field, and assessing interests and abilities. The last point can be particularly poignant, mainly if one has spent a great deal of time studying in a particular area, just to figure out that this specific career choice isn’t what they had in mind for the rest of their life. This huge mistake can be such a waste of time, effort, and money.

Yet, this is what sets the Pole Star Experiential Learning coaching internship program apart! We get people to focus on what they aspire to, instead of telling them what they are qualified to do right now. We let candidates dive into that field of interest, without experience, to gain knowledge, skills, and competencies. “This is not about getting your feet wet; it is about immersing yourself into an experience that will allow you to know if this career idea or ‘theory’ is right for you in practice,” according to our Program Developer, Corrine Bockenstedt.  

A primary goal at Pole Star Experiential Learning is to help students grow personally and professionally. We deliver this through virtual work training with businesses or nonprofit organizations, competency-based behavioral practices with one-on-one executive coaching, and through PEP?, our system of micro-learning.

These experiences are tracked within a Personalized Learning Plan that ultimately becomes a professional portfolio. This is continuously updated through our Professional Growth Acceleration Process? that is a series of personal and professional performance assessments. The culmination of all of these experiences, we like to call The Pole Star Evolution?, which is typically characterized by planned and unexpected obstacles, hiccups, and maybe some discomfort and failure that we encourage every participant to embrace because it stretches an individual's abilities. Rest assured that it all has a purpose and, in the end, leaves participants in a place of confidence having overcome obstacles.

Students will leave standing confidently in their professional skills that will stand out to other professionals, after having gained a greater sense of self-assurance as someone who is certain of what they are capable of. Development Leaders, or coaches, are a vital part of the success of Pole Star Experiential Learning as they act as a compass navigating individuals through unfamiliar territory. They do this by guiding them through the behavioral-based educational processes and help to coach them through the skills application process and move them through the learning abilities which include knowledge, skill, ability, and behavioral character implementation. 

Just like a professional rock climber, highly skilled professionals respond to specific situations more intuitively and perform appropriate actions in a very prompt and direct manner due to a deeper implicit understanding across many areas of practice. These individuals are able to take responsibility and go beyond existing external standards to behaviors of excellence that come almost instinctively from within.

While we cannot make an expert out of someone in a short period of time, we believe we give each person that comes through our program the tools necessary to achieve their highest potential creating the professional that is ready to take on challenges and adapt to a constantly changing environment. We breed leadership, and it is the understanding of these crucial workplace survival skills that will set them apart and be a success in a time of unprecedented change! Reach out today for your personal consultation!