Change is scary....

....but the impact of not changing can be even scarier. That's what participants of the 8th Workforce Solutions Conference, April 18 in Fergus Falls, found out. Futurist Ed Barlow laid the cards on the table:

• In six years, 70% of today's manufactured goods will be obsolete.
  
• Low unemployment, a growing number of jobs and an aging workforce add up to a significant worker shortage.


• It takes on average seven years to make a curriculum change in public schools.


• Schools are mandated to teach kids testing skills, not relevant, job-related skills.

Meanwhile, there are so many new things to learn; by 2012 our knowledge will double every year, and by 2010, technological information will double EVERY TWO HOURS. In a nutshell, that means companies, schools, communities, nonprofits--all of us--need to be on our toes, scanning for new information, finding new ways to do things and embracing new technologies. Barlow even suggested we review our strategic plans every 90 days to make sure they're still relevant.

After a two-hour, top-speed presentation, and a stellar panel discussion, participants gathered in small groups to share the three most important things they learned. Topping the list:

1. Consider three new R's of education: relevance, rigor and relationships. What if education was about gaining skills, not just degree acquisition?
2. The job is a journey, not a destination: Both employers and employees should have expectations of job growth and skill enhancement.
3. Accept and adapt to rapid changes: Apathy and Ignorance--those twin specters that have been around forever--are a company's main competition, and what keeps a community poor.

The small groups also brainstormed to come up with one great idea that would make a difference to west central Minnesota. The ideas ranged from developing school-to-work programs that include mentoring and learning soft skills such as customer service, team work and building a good work ethic, to creating a regional culture of collaboration toward a common vision of the future, to finding ways to attract and retain young adults and active retirees in our communities and our workforce.

Barlow concluded by bringing the talk down to a personal level.

"If I call you a week from now--and I've been known to do it--what will you tell me you've done with the information you've learned today?" he challenged the audience. "What new competency do you need to acquire to be a better leader? How different are you now than when we started?"

So, dear reader, how will YOU keep up with change? What new competency will YOU acquire? Sure, change is scary, but standing still in the middle of our fast-flowing highway of life--that's downright deadly.

Discover "The Ultimate Gift"

Red Stevens is determined to teach his grandson Jason a lesson--12 actually--even in death. In his will, he challenges Jason to accomplish 12 tasks in order to inherit what Red describes as "the ultimate gift." What it can be is what Jason has to discover by embarking on a year-long quest.

You can discover what it is, too, in the movie, The Ultimate Gift, starring James Garner, in what he says will be his last role, Brian Dennehy and Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin.

A Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls is showing The Ultimate Gift, May 1-4. Visit the Center's Web site for exact times.

The Ultimate Gift is partnered by LEAVE A LEGACY®, a national effort to inspire people from all walks of life and all income levels to think beyond their lifespan when doing good works. More than 20 Fergus Falls non-profit organizations, including West Central Initiative, and many more groups throughout west central Minnesota, are members of LEAVE A LEGACY®.

Take time for a little crystal ball gazing ... and more.

The folks in west central Minnesota have a tremendous opportunity not just to see into the future, but to create it.

The eighth annual Workforce Solutions Conference, "Creating the Future," will be held Wed., April 18, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Bigwood Event Center in Fergus Falls.

Futurist Ed Barlow from Creating the Future, Inc., is the guest speaker and the day's facilitator. Ed has presented in Greater Minnesota before, and those we know who have heard him speak say his presentation is electrifying and galvanizing. He talks about trends and challenges the audience to do something about them/with them.

So far, there's an eclectic group of participants: manufacturers, small business owners, healthcare professionals, city officials, educators and more. This dynamix mix should result in some spirited discussion and creative brainstorming.

Interested? There's still time to register online or call 800-735-2239.

Get ready to celebrate 150 years of statehood!

The State of Minnesota is gearing up for a grand celebration in 2008 to commemorate its Sesquicentennial. The actual date of the 150th anniversary is May 11, 2008. In the meantime, the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission is eager to get people involved, including providing grant opportunities for state organizations.

Keep looking back for more information about the Sesquicentennial, and West Central Initiative's involvement.

You can help Browns Valley

A couple weeks ago, an ice-dammed river and a fast thaw caused about 60 homes in the town of Browns Valley, Minn., to be flooded.

Here are some organizations to help direct your volunteer assistance and donations:

• Lutheran Social Services
• Salvation Army
• Volunteer Reception Center, Browns Valley Public Library: 320-695-2315;
• Cash donations can be sent to the Browns Valley Long-Term Flood Recovery Fund, in care of Union State Bank, PO Box 334, Browns Valley, Minnesota, 56219.
• Red Cross in Browns Valley: 320-695-2313.

What does "early childhood mental health" mean to you?

Psychotherapy for toddlers?

For West Central Initiative and the Minnesota Thrive Initiative, early childhood mental health means helping with our youngest children's social and emotional development.

On March 12, Nine WCI staffers from West Central Initiative headed to Glenwood, Minn., to conduct a day of interviews about early childhood mental health in Pope County. Child care providers, social workers, police officers, parents and more (about 60 interviewees) volunteered time out of their day to give their perceptions of the type of care and opportunities available in Pope County for young children's healthy social and emotional development.

The interviews were a part of the Minnesota Thrive Initiative, a statewide intiative that seeks to learn and provide resources... Pope County is one of six areas throughout Minnesota chosen to be a pilot site for the initiative.

WCI will compile the results and present them at a public forum later this year.

Pine to Prairie--and Back Again.

The Pine to Prairie GIS (Geographic Information Systems) User Group met at West Central Initiative on March 7. This group of GIS professionals and users meet on a quarterly basis to learn some new GIS practices, discuss topics of interest and network with other GIS users in the region. WCI hosts meetings and provides a grant to the group to cover the cost of web site hosting and some of the meeting expenses. For more information, about the group, visit its Web site.