Whittaker Associates: Giving Information Meaning">Whittaker

By Jim Bruckbauer

As we can see throughout history, each generation has unique factors and experiences that distinguish it from previous cohorts and sets them apart from those to come. Listed below are five attributes of Generation Y that are slowly changing the dynamics of the workplace.

1. Compensation is not solely about money. The Millennial generation, those between the ages of 18-30, are characterized by a desire to receive training, take on new challenges, and expand capabilities as a result.  There is less focus on compensation, and more emphasis put on recognition of achievement and meaningful work.
2. Millennials communicate through humor, passion, and truth. It is also important to show “direct and timely feedback, frequent encouragement and recognition of efforts.”  This keeps employees engaged and motivated.
3. Employers will invest heavily in management training for the Generation Y cohort. Companies are redesigning their organizational practices and cultures to accommodate changes in generational trends.
4. Benefits should be consistent with lifestyle. Employers should seek ways to creatively manage the work/life balance.  One example is to hold training sessions that are mixed with entertainment and learning.  Another idea is to offer sabbaticals to allow a Millennial to explore some civic interest.
5. Working remotely will become standard. Meeting and interacting online is just as comfortable and “real” as face-to-face meetings.  Many Millennials feel that the virtual world is a natural extension of their personal experiences.

Source: Managing Generation Y as They Change the Workforce, Reuters, Jan. 8, 2008

By Joel Burgess

America spent about 3.7 billion hours stuck in traffic last year, burning extremely expensive gasoline. At the airports, delays are common. One recent study found that between January and August 2007, one in four flights arrived late. In August alone, 159 flights were kept on the tarmac for more than three hours. Consequently, more than half of U.S. businesses augment commercial air travel with expensive corporate jets and charters.

One alternative: efficient intercity rail travel. Trains use one-fifth less energy than cars or planes. They run in bad weather. They are business-efficient and tourist-friendly. Yet, since the early 1960′s, with the exception of the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., railroad transportation in the U.S. has become largely irrelevant, inadequate, and outdated.

The rest of the industrialized world is investing heavily in its train systems. Europe, as one example, is wiring itself for high-speed rail in order to decrease emissions and increase productivity. Some predict the eventual obsolescence of air travel on the continent.

France: Last fall, a new 200 mph TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse) linking Paris to the German border opened, where it intersects Germany’s own high-speed InterCityExpress. In April, an experimental TGV run on the Paris-Strasbourg route hit 357 mph.

Spain: Soon high speed trains will cover the 375 miles between Barcelona and Madrid – the distance between Washington, D.C. and Boston, a 7-hour trip – in 2 ½  hours. In addition, talk persists of a rail tunnel to link Spain with Morocco.

Japan:Japan has developed a 360 mph magnetic-levitation, or maglev, train that rides a cushion of air. Propelled by the electromagnetic force of magnets, these trains are designed as complete transportation systems.

China: China has committed a quarter of a trillion dollars to its railway service. A trip from Shanghai to Beijing – the distance from Chicago to Baltimore, 18 hours by Amtrak – will eventually take 5 hours

The American train system lacks both financial resources and government support. Amtrak, which is federally funded, received a total of $1.3 billion last year. Twenty-five years ago, Amtrak was receiving the same amount: $1.3 billion. Compare that to the $40 billion allocated for highways and the $14 billion for airlines in 2006, and it becomes clear that train travel is a low priority in our country. For the 2008 fiscal year, the Bush Administration proposed $800 million for the railroad, which is a $500 million cut from 2007. In 2005, the President proposed pulling the plug entirely on Amtrak’s subsidy.

Despite its lack of funding, as our airways and highways have slowed, demand for train travel has been increasing. The number of Amtrak riders was up for the fifth year in a row, reaching record levels, despite the fact that a third of trains arrived late last year. In the Northeast, since Amtrak introduced higher-speed Acela trains in 2000, the railroad’s share of 10,000 daily commuters between Washington, D.C., and New York City increased from 45% to 54%. Experts predict that, with the population climbing well past 300 million in the country, the demand for travel will only grow. Severe weather will further add to general transportation turmoil, leading travelers to look for alternatives to air travel.

The key to improvements for the US train system may be federal incentives for state investment, given two successful projects that relied heavily on state funding. Amtrak recently expanded service from Chicago to downstate Illinois and St. Louis, where the number of riders is up about 50%. Likewise, major improvements were made to the Philadelphia-Harrisburg line where attendance also increased.

Now, Congress is considering legislation that would allow the trains to rebuild. The Lautenberg-Lott Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, is designed to completely overhaul the system. The Senate approved the Lautenberg-Lott Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act on October 30, and the bill is now before the House. The legislation would commit $10 billion over four years to develop high-speed, short-haul rail corridors modeled off of the European city-to-city routes. They could run between Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, N.C.; Portland and Seattle; Chicago and Detroit; and Miami and Jacksonville, FL.

“I’m amazed at the rancor about our numbers – they are so small,” says Alex Kummant, Amtrak’s CEO. “It costs about $1.50 for every man, woman and child to sustain this network – one cup of coffee per person. Look at highway congestion, environmental issues, and the capacity of airline travel. For city-to-city transportation, we need passenger rail.”

Source: A Better Way to Travel?
By Peter Richmond
Parade Magazine
Published: November 4, 2007

By Joel Burgess

MUZZY, is a children’s language course designed to help children develop a second language by watching, listening, and imitating what they see and hear.

MUZZY is designed to use a multi-sensory approach (visual/spatial, verbal, kinesthetic, musical, and/or logical/mathematical) to stimulate a child’s natural learning style and engage the senses. No teaching is required, and the idea is that your child will learn a second language through their everyday activities. Early exposure (ages 1-12) will allow the learning of a language to happen naturally and effortlessly.

For example, according to the website, toddlers can quickly comprehend that cat and chat and gato mean the same thing in English, French, and Spanish.  That single comprehension happens naturally and turns into a powerful basis for learning.

Benefits of Early Exposure
In addition, scientific evidence suggests that early exposure to a foreign language could do more for your child than simply teach him a second language – it also stimulates neurons in the developing brain and expands a child’s learning capacity for a higher level of proficiency achieved by younger language learners.

Researchers at University College London recently discovered that speaking a second language builds up the grey matter in a child’s brain the way lifting weights builds muscles.  Brain scans of bilingual adults who learned a foreign language as children showed greater brain density than those who spoke just one language.
Benefits to early exposure are linked to:

• Higher IQ – Some studies show that babies and toddlers exposed to the sounds of another language tend to read earlier and have higher IQ scores later on in life.
• A bigger, richer vocabulary – Little ones who learn the colors, shapes and numbers in a second language have these concepts reinforced in English at the same time.
• Improved test scores in English and math – Evidence suggests that learning a second language stretches a child’s cognitive ability, leading to better performance in many subject areas.
• Greater self-esteem – Children are able to communicate in another language – imitating, play-acting, and sharing what they know.
• Admission to top universities – Higher test scores and greater competence in a foreign language may open the door at your child’s university of choice.

To learn more visit: http://www.early-advantage.com/

By Joel Burgess

According to a recently released United Nations report, there are now more than 191 million migrants worldwide, more than ever before. In fact, migrant numbers have more than doubled since the 1960s and if the entire world’s migrant population belonged to the same country, the country would rank as the fifth largest on earth. (It is estimated that around 30 million migrants enter the global workforce illegally.)

People leave their homes for many different reasons – search of a better job, lifestyle, or education; to escape poverty, famine, or war .

Housing an accumulated 35 million migrants, the United States attracts the most people from abroad. Russia follows with housing 13.3 million migrants while 7.3 million migrants reside in Germany . About half of all migrants are bound for North America and Europe . On the flip side, China sees the most people leave, followed by India and the Philippines.

Estimates vary as to how much money overseas migrants send back home, but the large amounts are important for the economies of many developing countries. The incoming money is often greater than the amount the countries receive in aid. However, this outsourced monetary incentive for developing nations comes at the cost of losing many skilled workers for their own local development.

According to the International Labor Organization, the money sent back to developing countries is at least $160 billion. However, this number is likely to be much higher, as not all remittances are recorded. In November 2006, the World Bank estimated that the amount sent home to developing countries could be as much as $199 billion, while $268 billion was sent home worldwide.

By Rebecca Rooy

I did a Google search on “Going Green.” The conclusion? Environmentalists rejoice! Normally there is a surge in environment consciousness around Earth Day anyway, but this year, Earth Day doesn’t seem to be the major cause of environmental awareness. This year, the recognition of Earth Day merely reinforced the already existing and mounting environmental concern.

As Newton roughly states, for every past action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Finally this law is incorporated into our environment-human interaction. Citizens of the world are now seriously concerned about the effects of climate change, how human actions have an impact, how to take responsibility for our earth, and how to equalize and oppositely react to the environmental impact we have made thus far.

With the recent governmental economic incentives for ethanol plant development and the continuation and growing popularity of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, Americans are beginning to embrace an alternative lifestyle in support of alternative energy and new fuel standards. Thus, note the declining sales of Hummers and the rising demand for environmentally friendly, fuel efficient cars, such as Toyota ‘s hybrid Prius. A portion of this environmental realization could very well be attributed to world exposure through our most popular medium: television and film. The world is now reached by the environmental message in the fast-paced manner we have come to expect in all other points of our lives, giving films such as An Inconvenient Truth and Who Killed the Electric Car? a chance to reach millions.

Standard offices. Restaurants. Hotels. Auto manufacturers. Airlines. Aircraft engineers. Grocery stores. From turning off office computers at night to utilizing high-tech recycling to building wind-powered facilities to using the methane byproduct of cow waste to create electricity (yes, that would be PG&E), companies within the United States are fully embracing and announcing their “Going Green” efforts. It is accountable. It is savvy. It is responsible. It is a marketing tool. And some of the biggest companies in the nation are involved.

These national environmental steps towards “Going Green” are, indeed, creating the United States into a giant and green force. The jolly part? We’ve had that down for years.