Achieving Your Alumni Development Mission

In your role as an Alumni Career Services Professional, what is your primary mission? Is it to help your alumni build networks that help them in their career? Or is it broader?

If it is broader, what does success look like? And can you achieve that success with your current resources? Do competing priorities hinder your chances?

This week in Davos, at the World Economic Forum’s annual event, world leaders and top executives are meeting to discuss global issues. Skill gaps are one of them. One talk is about the Reskilling Revolution.

In the article about it, the presenter says, “when the weather forecast says a hurricane is coming, we act. We take precautions for our own homes. We help our neighbours and our communities. We take joint responsibility because we are aware of the dire consequences if we do not act. I wish the forecast to invest in skills could be taken as seriously – that more people, companies and societies would start to invest in skills, reskilling and lifelong learning. If we don’t, it will not only hamper businesses and the foundation for our economies. It could undermine our entire societal contract.”

The societal contract essentially says that if you go to school, and get a job, work and contribute, you’ll have access to quality education, decent pay, a strong social safety net and decent retirement. How many people come to you who have studied in your institution, (probably investing a lot of money in it), worked hard, and are now at risk? Or can’t get a job at all? How many more of them are out there? A Georgetown University study says 6.2% of all alumni. If that is true, do the math and you can see how big this storm might actually be for you.

A hurricane is coming, and your alumni need your help. Are you ready?