Business Black Box

WHAT MATTERS
MARC BOLICK
PRESIDENT
DMARC8 INTERNATIONAL
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Jobs. Even putting Ashton Kutcher aside, it has
become a buzzword recently. We People are looking have been through some hard times, and the U.S. economy still has a long way to
for jobs, employment rollercoasters up and down go to full recovery. With bad economic news still dripping in from many corners of
and businesses are having hard times filling certain the world, you might wonder if there’s such a thing as the American dream any more.
gaps in their workforces.
And yet…the economy is recovering and things are starting to feel a bit more
Fortunately, John Baker normal. has had The first-hand interesting thing is, there are some good reasons to be optimistic that the American
experience working both with dream employers will come and back stronger than ever.
GLOBAL
job seekers in the market. Baker Consider is the director what of the U.S. has going for it:
Greenville Works, an organization • was The born American from dollar is still the world’s reserve currency of choice. This makes our earnings
a partnership of several other organizations go further that in purchasing foreign goods and services, not to mention keeping our government
wanted to unite corporations and help running them work on vapors for longer than most.
in tandem to create a better workforce. • We speak English, still the language of choice for most business transactions. Oh, and a growing
According to John, there was no part shortage of our of population is truly bi-lingual, speaking Spanish fluently, the second most widely
entry level applicants for available jobs, spoken but there language on the planet behind Mandarin (English is third, by the way).
was an enormous need for next level • employment,
The U.S. economy is still roughly 2.5 times the size of our nearest competitor, China, on a
such as machinists, general technicians, GDP basis. and We are the second largest exporter behind the Euro area countries (on a country
chemical operators.
basis, we are the first ahead of China).
From businesses searching such “next level”
employees, Baker says, “the biggest response by far
was the inability to find a qualified workforce.”
WE In 2011, CAN Greenville Works SHARE was given money by THE AMERICAN
the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and by
combining it with other raised capital, they began
DREAM
sector-specific training programs to take entrylevel
job seekers and shepherd them through a
program, all in order to create a worker who will
be willing to climb employment ladders. • In terms of natural resources, the shale gas revolution has pushed the U.S. to become the top
“We created a four-tier career ladder,” natural he gas says. producer in the world. That, combined with being third in oil production and
“We made it generic because we want second to show in job coal production, puts the U.S. in a position of energy competitiveness that many
About the author...
seekers out there ‘this is the path you go.’” could have barely imagined just five years ago.
Marc Today, Bolick these replanted classes his are going So, strong what and does are all this have to do with sharing the American dream? Just two weeks after taking
taking workers up the ladders. power, Ideally, the new says, leader “we of our biggest global competitor, Xi Jinping, began openly talking about what
living want in people Europe that for 13 are years. committed he and referred willing to to as go “the Chinese dream.” Like many slogans in one-party China, there are nuances
back and get training and move in up what a step.” is meant by the Chinese dream; anything from military superiority (nationalists), to more
product and service creation
By doing this, the program economic creates freedom another, (the wealthy middle-class).
for companies ranging from
less risky alternative to hiring an Should employee we feel from threatened by this Chinese dream? Perhaps we should be wary, but it is likely that
Fortune 100 multi-nationals
the Chinese dream is more about a country aspiring to better things for its people, than tyrannical
to somewhere mid-sized European else in the firms country, which has inherent
to risks startups. to it For such the as past culture nine assimilation world domination. or real estate It’s a dream of prosperity and a better life for future generations.
difficulties. years he has By run creating Dmarc8 a better That kind brings of worker us back to the current state of America, to the fact that, if you are reading this, you
from within companies, businesses likely can live improve and work the in the United States, and you enjoy an immeasurable level of fortune just by
that quality helps of clients life for to qualify, those who may virtue not of being have many part of this dynamic and vibrant society. You have plenty of room to dream, and there’s
other chances.
no reason to be threatened by other people’s dreams.
What growth Greenville strategies. Works is doing The U.S. is sits a new in a historically pivotal position, and there are many sound reasons to think that we
approach to solving what is probably will fully the recover number from the Great Recession reinvigorated and stronger than ever.
one problem in workforce development. The American They dream is alive and well. It’s also something that is “open source,” an idea, and we
work in the middle between should employers, be happy finding for it to spread and inspire others to more prosperous futures.
out what they need, and with employees, giving
them opportunities to work and improve their
own quality of life.
“It’s not just about showing up, you have to
change your life, your attitude, your aspirations and
your goals and you have to be willing to go to that
next step.”
native roots in Greenville after
He has worked in all aspects of
International, a consulting firm
plan and implement innovative
Photo by Wayne Culpepper/FishEye Studios
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
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