Students pursue skills employers claim are in short supply

When was the last time you updated your resume? Did you include skills like problem-solving, critical-thinking and communication? According to a study conducted by LinkedIn in partnership with the Wall Street Journal, those are exactly the types of skills and attributes we should all be highlighting if we want to stand out in a job search. This week at Pine Tree Camp, in Rome, about 180 middle school and high school students from across the state gathered for JMG’s annual Leadership Education Conference (LEC). The Conference is an overnight intensive that gives students the unique opportunity to learn those soft skills employers are looking for.

Recently, at Pine Tree Camp, in Rome, about 180 middle school and high school students from across the state gathered for JMG’s annual Leadership Education Conference (LEC). The conference is an overnight intensive that gives students the unique opportunity to learn those soft skills employers are looking for. Contributed photo

Robbie Clark is an eighth grader at Winslow Middle School. He said, “When we’re at school, we’re usually working by ourselves or with our close friends. But, here at LEC you have to work with kids from all over that you’ve never met before. We have to work together to solve problems and meet deadlines. It challenges us.”

The conference, held from October 18 – 21, includes a series of hands-on activities that require students to practice their communication, time management, and teamwork skills. For example, the Army National Guard was on hand teaching them how to build emergency shelters. The students had to take some very basic materials, a few instructions, and work together to build a functional shelter in a certain amount of time. Chances are relatively few of these students will ever need to build a shelter, but the soft careers skills they’re honing will come in handy throughout their lives.

Ryan Moore, vice president at Bank of America, in Belfast, is a volunteer at LEC. Moore says, “This type of student event gives these young people the chance to get out of the classroom and offers them the opportunity to practice skills that are in high demand in the job market.”

Along with the skill-building activities, the theme of the conference was “grit.” Students learned about the importance of this combination passion and perseverance.