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Save the Date!

On Friday, May 17, the Adult Education and Training program will host a reception and presentation by Dr. Amy Rose,

William Allen Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor for the 2012-2013 academic year at Seattle University.

Dr. Rose is a nationally recognized researcher who has contributed extensively to the field of Adult Education. Prior to her arrival at Seattle University, Dr. Rose was professor of Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University since 1986. She is also co-editor of Adult Education Quarterly and past president of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). In addition, she was a co-editor of the Handbook of Adult Continuing Education (2010 edition), one of the most widely used adult education textbooks in the country.

Dr. Rose will present findings from her recent research and discuss implications for practitioners from diverse areas of adult education, training, and human resource development. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about Dr. Rose's work and connect with Seattle University faculty, alumni, and students, as well as adult education and training professionals and community members from across the region.

In the weeks ahead, please look for an official invitation and more information about the event.

A Presentation by Dr. Amy Rose

William Allen Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor, Seattle University, 2012-13 academic year

Friday, May 17 from 6:00-8:00 PM

Seattle University Student Center, Room 160

Networking reception followed by presentation and discussion

Seating will be limited; reservations are required. Register Here.

For more information, please contact Julianna Chen

Our Chapter’s communications director, Nicole Forward, alerts us to a report (link here) issued two months ago by the Washington Roundtable, a non-profit public policy organization composed of senior executives from the Evergreen State’s major employers.  The report, prepared for the Roundtable by the Boston Consulting Group, is entitled “Great Jobs Within Our Reach: Solving the Problem of Washington State’s Growing Skills Gap”.

As the title indicates, these key executives, who oversee thousands of jobs in our state, are very concerned about the skills gap and its impact on their businesses and the state’s economy, current and future.  Here are some of the key findings from the report:

• ·      There are an estimated 25,000 unfilled jobs in Washington state due to the skills gap, a deficit that is forecast to grow to 50,000 jobs by 2017 unless corrective action is taken
• ·      If successful corrective action is taken and the skills gap is eliminated by 2017, then the forecast changes to a net increase of 160,000 new jobs being added to the state’s economy
• ·      The closing of the skills gap, if it occurs, would reduce the unemployment rate by as much as two percentage points, reducing state expenditures for unemployment payments by $350 million; it would also generate an added $270 million in badly needed state tax revenues and $80 million in local tax receipts

We are talking about real money here!

Here is the point I believe needs to be stressed for ASTDps.  We, as WLP professionals, frequently talk about the need “to have a seat at the table” with business executives to prove our mettle and demonstrate the value of learning to organizations.  Well, we are not going to get a much better invitation than this one.  Are we as an association of professionals and as concerned citizens going to step up and show the way to closing the skills gap?  The future is in our hands.

If you would like to get involved and make a difference, contact me at governmentaffairs@astdps.org.

William “Bud” Wurtz, PhD

ASTDps Manager of Public Resource Information

Michael Ferraro, National ASTD’s Public Policy Advisor, brings to our attention the PBS program “Need to Know”, aired earlier this month. (Find the link here.) The program focuses on efforts in Seattle, promoted by the National STEM Consortium, to target structural unemployment by improving the scientific, technical and mathematical (STEM) know-how of local workers. 

The segment highlights the struggles of one woman, well past the typical college years, to become retrained in composite materials, one of the advanced technologies reshaping the American economy and demanding more skills and knowledge of workers.  While the woman pursues her training under the stress of being homeless, high-paying jobs in the composite materials industry go begging in Washington state.

Interviews with local and national experts pose some challenging questions the American public, and WLP professionals in particular, on how we as a society meet the demands of helping people succeed in rapidly changing  economy that demands ever more knowledge and skill.

Do you want to become an ASTD Master Trainer? We are excited to announce the ASTD Master Trainer™ Program is coming to Seattle, WA!

Most offerings of this program sell out and seats are expected to fill up quickly. If you register, make sure to enter our chapter ChIP code, CH8020, at checkout.

About ASTD Master Trainer™ Program
April 22-25, Seattle (Kirkland), WA

This unique, assessment-based certificate program has expert facilitators working closely with you to help you master all aspects of training delivery. With this program, you will identify areas where you excel, and those where you have opportunities for growth. You will benefit from collaborative and concrete training, and then be invited to assess your skills and knowledge. Proving your ability will result in the ASTD Master Trainer™ certificate.

Participants have been most impressed by the:

• distinction of being recognized as an ASTD Master Trainer™
• individualized attention received throughout the program
• personalized feedback from both the expert facilitator and peers
• collaborative and social learning network created in the process
• tangible skills and resources applied immediately
• evidence of rapid professional growth.  

Click here to learn more about this program. 

Click here for frequently asked questions about this program.

Click here to register for the Seattle program. 

Jon Talton, the Seattle Times economics reporter, last week had a sobering column noting that, while our regional economy at the moment is doing well in comparison to the rest of the state and the nation, dark clouds are gathering on the horizon. (Here is a link to the article.)  Specifically he mentioned ten factors that should constitute a wake-up call to anyone who values working and living in our environmentally beautiful, culturally rich region and wants it to stay that way so they can continue living here.

Some of these issues have a direct link to our region’s ability to be innovative.  Near the top of the list is Microsoft’s need to recapture its innovation magic and regain leadership in the IT revolution. 

But just a bit of reflecting on the other nine items reveals the need for some real creative thinking leading to new innovative approaches.  Innovation is the answer.  A good place to start building your own innovative abilities along with the ability to help organizations be more innovative is with the ASTDps Innovation Initiative SIG event, “Understanding Innovation: The ‘Silicon Valley’ Case Study” this coming Tuesday evening. 

As I post this only four seats remain.  Go to the registration link elsewhere on this website.  In the event that online registration has ended, please contact me at governmentaffairs@astdps.org.  No promises, but I will make a reasonable effort to see if we can accommodate you for this exciting and important learning event.

Reminder: ASTD International Conference Discounted Rates for Chapter Teams
If at least five members from your chapter are attending the ASTD International Conference & Exposition, your chapter will qualify for discounted chapter team rates of $1,100 for national ASTD members and $1,400 for non-members. To set up your chapter team, contact Natasha Porter at nporter@astd.org or 703.683.8154. Chapter teams will be established when at least five registrations from the same chapter are received. 

Submissions for the 2013 International E-Learning Awards - Academic Division, presented by the International E-Learning Association (IELA), are currently being accepted! The Entry Submission Page is posted on the IELA site and the deadline for submission is June 15, 2013.  Entries for the Business division have closed for 2013 and will be accepted in March 2014 for the 2014 awards. We are currently accepting only entries in the Academic division.

Awards will be given for successful courses, sites, and products, in three categories: e-learning, blended learning, and mobile learning.  The winners will be announced in September 2013 at the ICL Conference in Kazan, Russia, though you do not need to come to the conference in order to win an award.

The International E-Learning Association is a leading international group that brings together researchers and practitioners in all forms of e-learning.  IELA's sponsorship of international conferences and journals, and its strong membership base, continue to advance the state of the art of the e-learning field worldwide in academic and business areas.

Submissions for the 2013 International E-Learning Awards - Academic Division are due on June 15, 2013.   For more details regarding the submission process, please check the IELA Awards Page.  We look forward to your submissions!

WHAT: Innovation Initiative SIG Event - “Understanding Innovation: The Silicon Valley Case Study”

WHEN: Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 6 to 9 PM

WHERE: Versatile Company, 12304 32nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125

COST: Free, but you must register.

All the buzz these days is about innovation, in organizations large and small, and all around the world.  But how do you really make innovation happen?  We have answers. 

The ASTDps Innovation Initiative will be presenting the outstanding and fascinating PBS documentary, Silicon Valley, as the case study of how innovation happens.  This event is a great first step in building the foundation of your knowledge about innovation and how to help others innovate. The event will also feature facilitated conversation about the video to deepen your learning.

Synopsis: The story Silicon Valley begins in 1957, decades before Steve Jobs dreamed up Apple or Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook.  A group of eight brilliant young men defected from the Shockley Semiconductor Company in order to start their own transistor business. Their leader was 29-year-old Robert Noyce, a physicist with a brilliant mind and the affability of a born salesman who would co-invent the microchip. They launched a revolution that changed the world. You will learn their secrets for makng an organization and its people innovative, not just once, but continually.

Noyce and his team also planted the seeds that produced one of the most innovative geographic regions the world has ever known.  The video demonstrates clearly the vital links between innovation and regional economic development, links that produce the virtual cycle of continuous innovation, the key to ongoing prosperity.

Puget Sound, too, is a highly innovative region.  But we can’t afford to sit still; the process of innovation is relentless.  Someone out there even now is developing the Next Big Thing that will generate the enormous wealth and influence that comes from human creativity.  Make sure that you are creating a better future for yourself and your team by continuing your education in innovation through this stimulating, information-packed learning session.

The Details. The video is approximately an hour and 22 minutes long.  The showing will include a break for facilitated conversation and refreshments, along with a final wrap-up facilitated conversation at the end.  We encourage you to bring a “sack dinner” to eat during the event.  Coffee and cold beverages will be provided..

There is no charge for this event, nor do you have to be an ASTDps member to attend. But seating is limited. Ensure a reserved space at the showing by registering. Here is a link to the Chapter's registration page.

Free parking will be available on-site and on the streets nearby.

For more information, contact government affairs@astdps.org.  

A Report by Mark Sideman and Dr. William "Bud" Wurtz

On March 13th the Washington State Economic Development Commission formally issued the final version of its strategic plan, "Driving Washington's Prosperity". The plan positions the Evergreen State to become a leader nationally in innovation, the key to both job growth and long-term competitive advantage.  “Driving Washington Prosperity” puts “talent development”, and thus the interests of ASTDps and the WLP profession, at the forefront of the strategy to foster innovation statewide.

The event was held in the beautifully ornate Senate Rules Room in the state capitol at Olympia.  The Lieutenant Governor, several State Senators and Representatives, and a number of state agency heads were in attendance, along with envoys from major companies (e.g., Microsoft), business associations, labor unions, education groups … and the ASTDps Innovation Initiative Team, represented by Joel Kanter, Mark Sideman, and Dr. William “Bud” Wurtz.  ASTDps was complimented by several of the Economic Development Commission members during networking breaks for making its presence felt at the meeting and in offering specific potential connections to advance the State’s innovation agenda.

“Driving Washington’s Prosperity” was developed over many months with input from over 650 citizens and experts at fifteen different regional strategy forums across the state. Earlier drafts of Driving Washington’s Prosperity” attracted substantial nationwide attention to the State’s bold plan, including the honor of receiving the prestigious Innovations Award from the Council of State Governments.

The plan is a direct outgrowth of the Economic Development Commission’s mission, as chartered by the State Legislature, to boost economic growth and increase the number of good-paying jobs in Washington State. As noted earlier, “Make talent [and talent development] a top priority” is the first of five “pillars” that make up the foundation of the plan, something of direct interest and benefit to WLP professionals.   

Using our systems thinking skills, WLP professionals can appreciate that a comprehensive innovation strategy requires additional components or "pillars". In the case of Washington State’s plan, these are: Invest in entrepreneurship; Connect through reliable infrastructure; Regulate in the smartest ways; and Expand international business.  Some creative thinking will probably reveal for each of these other pillars important workplace learning and performance issues that need to be called out and addressed.  We encourage you to start by reviewing the complete plan here.

Dear Potential Speaker:

Are you interested in becoming one of our concurrent session speakers at this year's conference?

We are inviting you specifically because we believe you have a unique perspective on our conference theme, which is Collaboration. Here are some questions that we'd like our speakers to explore this year:

• How do I encourage more collaboration among my students during virtual training sessions?
• What are the best practices to help my organization increase collaboration in the cloud?
• Can I increase the frequency of events where I co-facilitate?
• Are there other tools/technologies that our organization should consider to increase collaboration?
• How do I hold my learners accountable for collaborative learning?

You get several benefits by presenting at the ASTD-Cascadia Conference:

• Exposure to the largest association of training, human resources, and workplace learning professionals in the Northwest; we're on track for more than 300 attendees this year!
• Opportunity to attend our keynote presentation by Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting
• Recognition as a thought leader on best practices in collaboration
• Promotional opportunities to sign and sell books that you have authored

The March 31st Deadline Is Approaching Fast!
For more information and to submit a proposal, visit our conference webpage. You will want to access the RFP Form and the Speaker RFP Information document. With regard to the RFP form, be sure to complete ONLY the "RFP Form" worksheet and NOT the Official Use Only worksheet.

We look forward to reviewing your proposed workshop. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Melinda Krueger, our Concurrent Session Lead, at conferencesessions@astdcascadia.org. Please remember that submissions (in the original Excel format) must be received by March 31, 2013, and feel free to forward this information to other potential speakers.

We Welcome Your Feedback
Is there anything we can do to improve the RFP process? We'd like to know if there's anything we can do to make the RFP process easier for our potential speakers. Share your thoughts with me at dnetz@gpstrategies.com.

We look forward to receiving your RFP!

DJ Netz
2013 Conference Chair
ASTD - Cascadia Chapter