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Governor Beebe speaks on Science, Technology, Engineering , and Math (STEM) education and the Museum of Discovery Science Center.

“This past week, I was on site as the Museum of Discovery began construction on its new Science Center. The museum, located in downtown Little Rock, has long provided a stimulating learning environment for Arkansas students and their families. Its interactive, hands-on exhibits and engaging events allow students to explore science, math, engineering, and technology in interesting and exciting ways.

via Arkansas’s Governor Beebe Focuses On STEM Education | Gov Monitor.

I am glad to see another governmental leader make STEM education an important initiative.

Our country will continue to lose our competitive edge unless we produce more Scientists and Engineers.  It just adds up.

Science educators from across the region will convene in Nashville for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Area Conference on Science Education. Held in conjunction with the Tennessee Science Teachers  Association (TSTA), the three-day event will feature hundreds of workshops, presentations, and seminars on a variety of topics, aimed at engaging science educators of all levels in the latest and most innovative teaching methods and new developments in science. The conference will be held at The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and other local venues.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100601/DC13487LOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100601/DC13487LOGO)

Keynote speaker for the conference is Master of Science Jeff Lieberman.  Host of the Discovery Channel’s Time Warp science program, and a well known roboticist, photographer, musician, and sculptor, Lieberman explores the connections between the arts, sciences, education, and creativity in his work merging science and art together.  Lieberman’s Cyberflora robotic flower garden features flowers that sense and respond to people in a lifelike manner, and his Motor Learning Robotic Wearable Suit teaches motor skills. Lieberman will discuss how technology and the arts can potentially inspire students and change science education into the cultivation of passion and curiosity.  His keynote address is at 9 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 2, at The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Presidential Ballroom C-E.

via Nashville to Host Area’s Largest Gathering of Science Educators at NSTA Conference,… — ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –.

A fast-growing Colorado company wants a piece of Nashville’s data center business. Zayo Colocation announced today that it will operate a 9,000-square-foot data center at 209 10th Ave. S — a spot that it notes “was unaffected by the flooding earlier in the year.”

The company is part of the Zayo Group, a 3-year-old company focused on Internet infrastructure. Since its founding, it has bought 17 regional telecom companies. One of its earliest buys was Memphis Networx in 2007. It also established a foothold in Nashville by purchasing American Fiber Systems, a move announced last week.

via Fast-growing Zayo enters Nashville data center business – Nashville Business Journal.

Data centers are a fast growing business throughout the country and it is good to see that kind of growth locally.  The biggest challenge will be continuing to grow and import the necessary technical talent to staff such entities.

Hemlock Semiconductor, LLC, whose $1.2 billion Clarksville facility is still under construction, will host a career fair Oct. 14.

The company plans to hire 500 full-time employees before the facility begins manufacturing polysilicon, the key material of solar panels, in late 2012.

Hemlock Semiconductor employees in manufacturing and production operations roles can earn an annual salary in the range of $37,000 to $58,000. Details for job seekers are highlighted below.

via Hemlock to host job fair for 500 positions at $1.2B plant – Nashville Business Journal.

This will be a great opportunity for many of you to learn more about working for a cutting-edge firm here in the Clarksville area.

I encourage you to read the rest of this article by clicking on the link above.

No one needs to hear more about how bad the job situation is in today’s economy. You can pick up any newspaper (if they are still in print) or read any reputable online resource to see that our economy is in a pinch and the ability to create jobs in America is greatly compromised. Knowing this, every job seeker, whether they are currently employed or not, needs to understand some of the basics of the job search in today’s world versus yesterday.

via Job search 101 – Technorati Business.

THE call came at 9:30 at night from the police detective, asking me about one of my carpenters. The detective was doing a follow-up investigation on a domestic disturbance and wanted to ask a few questions. Fine, no problem, I said — thinking of the big job we were in the middle of and how much I was depending on that carpenter.

via Preoccupations – The Healing Power of Construction Work – NYTimes.com.

I found this  to be a truly fascinating article about many who work in the areas of self-employment that keep them from the prying eyes of corporate America.

The screening and background checking that most firms use now provide a glass-ceiling that many cannot penetrate if they have had any kind of a run in with the law.

I find it interesting to consider what other professions provide the same type of therapy as carpentry and the building trades.

After years of shedding jobs, Tennessee’s manufacturers are showing signs of life.The number of people employed in manufacturing increased in the second quarter, ending several consecutive quarters of declines, according to the Middle Tennessee State University’s Business and Economic Research Center. And state labor officials reported that manufacturing employment in July increased year over year, after three straight years of job losses.Manufacturing activity is a key indicator of an economy’s health. If consumers and businesses are indeed ready to spend, the widgets they desire start at a manufacturer.

via Manufacturing jobs slowly returning in Middle Tennessee – Nashville Business Journal.

While I like the tone of this article, we still need to keep our focus on jobs that require higher skill sets and jobs that have higher income levels.

We have a massive effort here to raise the level of our workforce to the level of our future economy.  This will not be a 1, 5, or 10 year effort.  It will take several generations and will require fundamental shifts in how we educate, train and spend resources in the economic development area.

It will not be an easy task, but doing the same things over again are not the answer.

It was a landmark day Wednesday for LinkedIn.

The social-networking service for professionals announced the first acquisition in its seven-year history, and said it now has more than 75 million members. (LinkedIn hit 65 million members in April and 60 million in February.)

via LinkedIn makes first acquisition, tops 75 million members – USATODAY.com.

Not surprised at all about the growth of LinkedIn.

It has become the preferred business-focused network and more and more companies, job-seekers and recruiters use it on a regular basis.

This post was originally published in PE Magazine in May 2010, but the principles listed apply to more than just engineers.

I encourage you to continually improve your networking skills and also to pass along your thoughts that I have missed.

In the movie, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou”, the character Everett Ulysses McGill, so ably played by George Clooney, continually uses the phrase, “We’re in a tight spot.”  That singular

expression sums up many factors in the current employment market, and it is especially true in the AEC world.  While numbers in the total unemployment market across the United States hover around the 10% level, the numbers in the design and construction world are at 27.1% according to the March 10, 2010 issue of ENR.  Other anecdotal conversations I have had with industry leaders have increased this number to 35% and higher.  One thing we all agree upon is that the market is slow and there is no tremendous savior in sight outside of the federal sector.

When the demand side is so low and the supply side is so high, it makes for a challenging time for many skilled architects, engineers, project managers and skilled trades people who were pushed to their limits just a few years ago.  My greatest fear is that a large number of this group will give up hope about the long-term promise in the design and construction market and they will abandon this career in hopes of finding something more stable in another market.

Much of my time is spent with clients assisting them in finding and developing talent.  Not so long ago it was almost impossible to find some types of engineers and there are still parts of the market, such as air quality, that seem pretty robust to me.  For those who are not fortunate to be in the few hot markets, there is a need to understand more about how to package, market and communicate just who you are and what you have done, and can do.  I make this distinction because I see a number of more experienced people setting up their own little consulting businesses where they serve a number of firms or owners versus working solely for one firm.  I could write an entire article about becoming your own business.

The methods of finding a job when I first graduated in 1981 were pretty specific.  You would try to find internships while in school and then make sure you stayed involved with professional societies such as NSPE and others when you entered the world of work.  These basics have not changed.  It is still essential to have a great resume that is current and it is

also very important to be involved in organizations that give back to your profession and your community.  Some of the best examples I have seen include getting involved in community organizations like Habitat for Humanity. 

The part I see many job seekers overlooking or not emphasizing enough is their participation in networking activities.  I have to admit that many in the engineering profession would rather scratch their fingernails on a chalkboard than attend a networking event, but it is essential that all professionals, engineers included, keep an active network of both their peers and others.  It can be a real stretch for many of us, but you have to do it.  These networking events can be formal or informal.  For those who are unemployed, there are a number of organizations that are providing really useful assistance to many in transition and they provide not only job assistance, but also provide other valuable services such as counseling services.  I am personally involved with a large career transition group in Brentwood, TN that has attracted job seekers from as far away as Arkansas, Georgia and California.  The long tenure of this transition group gives it great credibility and the attendance ranges from 100 to 250 each Monday night.

The piece that many miss is the Social Network piece.  I find LinkedIn  to be the most significant tool I use for networking, search and business development and I have seen many others find great value from this network once they understand how to build a presence and how to leverage and grow their network.  The most important factor that most job seekers learn is that they are not alone and they should be willing to help others in addition to asking for help.  This spirit of camaraderie can be a strong support mechanism for many I see in the transition market.

There is no doubt that we are in a tight spot.  While the results may not be as humorous as those in the “Oh Brother” movie, the end result for you and many you know can be a happy one if you realize that networking is a 24/7/365 activity; this means you never stop networking, even when you get that next job.   The other important learning is that Social Networks can be a very useful tool in helping to catalyze your personal networking.  You still will need to get out and meet others you don’t know, or don’t know well, and the online networks will never replace that one-on-one interaction.