More than 800 Forsyth Tech students gained insights from area business leaders and employers earlier this week about the information literacy skills needed to thrive in today’s workplace.
The two-day event, “Information Literacy in Today’s Workplace: The Employer’s Perspective,” was held on Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10, at the Oak Grove Center Auditorium on the college’s Main Campus. It featured a keynote address by Michele Van Hoeck from Project Information Literacy and dean of the Library at California State University Maritime, entitled “What Information Competencies Matter in Today’s Workplace.” Van Hoeck moderated panel discussions and Q&A sessions each day between the students and local employers from a range of fields who shared their professional perspectives with students on the critical skills they look for when hiring new employees and expectations in the workplace.
“At Forsyth Tech, we define information literacy as being able to access critical information using the tools of today, knowing the amount and quality of information that fits the task at hand, and being able to evaluate and analyze it appropriately to solve a problem,” says Susan Emery, Forsyth Tech’s QEP director.
The employers who participated in the panel discussions (see complete list below) represented varied industries, from public safety to the legal field to manufacturing to health. Each had their own definitions of the skills and traits they look for and expect from employees:
“The top three [information literacy] skills we want our workforce to possess are the abilities to gather information that’s relevant, consider the pros and cons for recommending a particular course of action and articulate the research and arguments for the recommendations in a way that different audiences will understand,” said Scott Cunningham, Chief of Police for the Town of Kernersville. “An ability to apply theory to practice is important.”
“When we hire a legal assistant or a paralegal, we look for an ability to communicate with clients through both oral and written communications,” said Carrie Vickery, an attorney with Holton Law Firm and adjunct instructor at Forsyth Tech. “Our employees need to have the skills to understand the right questions to ask and identify the actual issue.”
“We have a saying at our firm,” said Tom Calloway, principle and architect at CJMW. “‘I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care.’ Attitude is critical.”
The panel discussions were streamed live from the Oak Grove Center Auditorium via YouTube to viewing parties at several of Forsyth Tech’s Off-Campus Centers.
This event was-sponsored by Student Activities and Forsyth Tech’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) initiative, a five-year plan designed to enhance student learning, with a focus on information literacy.
List of Panelists and Links to Sessions
Monday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglZ0fNrkn4)
Mike Fogelman – Human Resource Professional Specializing in Training and Leadership Development at Deere Hitachi
Rodney Evans – Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) in the Interventional Radiology Department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Carrie Vickery – Attorney with Holton Law Firm and Adjunct instructor with Forsyth Tech
Tom Calloway – Principle and Architect at CJMW)
Theressa Stephens – Owner and Director at Church Childcare Center, Inc.
Chris Davis – Assistant Chief for the Forsyth County Fire Department
Scott Cunningham – Chief of Police for the Town of Kernersville Police Department
Tuesday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jdMw74-rBU)
Annette Peak – Radiology Manager at Novant Health
Jill Atherton – Vice President of Economic & Community Development for Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
Russ Read – Executive Director for the National Center for the Biotech Workforce
Paula Grafton Young – Associate Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Salem College
Chris Langham – Battalion Chief for the Winston-Salem Fire Department
Selected Examples of Information Literacy Competencies
Ability to search online
Knowing how and where to find information and to search on the open web
Manipulating and analyzing data using common software programs
Demonstrating competencies related to proprietary database searches
Synthesizing information
Search strategies that go beyond the first page of Google
Articulating a “best solution” and conclusion from information found to solve problems
Locating information about industry competitors, tax regulations, conference planning or news coverage of a particular issue
Fact-checking across multiple sources
Scoping out or defining problems or potential problems
Finding patterns and making connections from information found
Exploring topics thoroughly
Photos
Caption: On Monday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 10, 12 area employers and business leaders provided their insights to more than 800 Forsyth Tech students about the important information literacy skills needed to thrive in today’s workplace.
Photo Left: Employers pictured here on Monday, March 9: from left to right: Mike Fogelman—Deere Hitachi, Rodney Evans—Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Carrie Vickery—Holton Law Firm and Forsyth Tech Adjunct instructor, Tom Calloway—CJMW, Theressa Stephens—Church Childcare Center, Inc., Chris Davis—Forsyth County Fire Department; Scott Cunningham—Chief of Police for the Town of Kernersville
Photo Right: Employers pictured here on Tuesday, March 10: from left to right: Annette Peak—Novant Health; Jill Atherton—Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce; Russ Read—National Center for the Biotech Workforce; Dr. Paula Grafton Young—Salem College; Chris Langham—Winston-Salem Fire Department