|
Meeting |
|
Report |
|
April 4, 2006 |
| Click here for photos of this Meeting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 DR.
TONY ZEISSCentral Piedmont Community College By Marilynn Bowler CHARLOTTE ROTARY TAKES A FIELD TRIP The incomparable Dr. Tony Zeiss hosted the April 4th Charlotte Rotary meeting at Harris Conference Center on CPCC's West Campus and those in attendance were in for a treat. From the short, easy ride from uptown Charlotte, to the beautiful facility, the elegant dining set-up and the fabulous food, CPCC impressed us all. And when Rebecca Cook-Carter teamed up with pianist Roxanne Holt-Watson and our own amazing Thomas Moore to provide music selections from operatic to patriotic, it was spectacular. Get 'Em While They're Hot is not only the title of one of Tony's eighteen published books, it was also the theme of today's meeting at CPCC - the largest college of any type in North or South Carolina. Tony had a captive audience and he played us like a fiddle. He plugged upcoming events at the new Halton Theatre; he grinned proudly when he told us that the less-than two-year-old Conference Center has already booked over four hundred meetings and conferences in its short life; he told us a joke as only he can tell it; and then we got down to serious business. The business of what CPCC means to our community. Facing the labor and skills shortage in America, it's time for a wake-up call. Baby boomers are retiring and the succeeding generations are smaller. The number one threat to our economy is the lack of skilled and productive workers. The hard facts are that we will be ten million workers short of what's needed by the year 2011. That spells "crisis." Research and development is shifting off-shore. America is losing manufacturing jobs at an alarming rate and with that comes a mega-loss of creativity and innovation. That's the bad news. The good news is that corporations who prepare for the labor and skill shortage will do well. Looking to CPCC and other community colleges, companies will discover a reliable supply chain of skilled workers who will become their peak performers. From geospatial technology to integrated systems of technology and many more specialized courses, CPCC offers the solution to the problem. Only 27% of the jobs in America require bachelors or higher degrees; 75% require below a four-year degree. Hence, community colleges are the significant economic engines for America. Who attends CPCC? New high school graduates and adults entering the workplace for the first time. Immigrants and the disabled. Retirees who aren't ready to stay home. Existing workers who wish to upgrade themselves or retrain for a new job. Transitional workers like veterans or those who have been dislocated. That huge bank of eager, newly trained, dedicated workers will march into the job market with a long list of qualifications to back them up because of the excellent education they receive at CPCC. They will, indeed, become the sought-after peak performers. What companies will attract the new peak performers? Those who have an established reputation as a good place to work; those who provide a competitive salary and benefits; those who establish a reliable worker supply chain; those who recognize employees who have contributed to the success of the company; those who have the good fortune - and the 'smarts' - to hire CPCC alumni. Head Table: Bob Knight, Herb Harriss, Cecily Durrett, Powell Majors, Brenda Lea, Tony Zeiss; Invocation: Jerri Haigler Visitors & Guests: Bill Meanor; Health & Happiness: Don Haack
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Click here for Archives or use Search menu bar for Photos and Reports of previous meetings |
Copyright © 1998-2006. The Rotary Club of Charlotte. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 31, 2008.