> Connectedness and Upward Mobility
Anchor Courses Improve Economic Connectedness between Job Seekers & Employers
By Walter Rodriguez, Ph.D., P.E.
“Economic connectedness—is among the strongest predictors of upward income mobility to date.” (Chetty, R. et al., 2022; Chetty, R. et al., 2014'; Manduca, R. & Sampson, R. J. 2019.)
It’s not a secret that connecting with employers, well-educated and wealthy individuals can help us (1) access time-sensitive information, (2) shape our goals & aspirations, and (3) secure mentorships, internships, or job referrals (Chetty, R. et al., 2022; Coleman, J. S 1988; Lin, N. & Dumin, M. 1986).
But how can we seek that proximity to those well-positioned and socioeconomic successful individuals? Some people may try to be closer to neighborhoods, communities, schools, parks, events, and associations to improve their chances of interacting with these individuals. For instance, you may encourage children to obtain grants and scholarships to attend well-positioned or purpose-driven colleges. Or, you may offer to volunteer in fundraisers and community organizations that bring in high-wealth or purpose-driven people. Or choose to participate in critical sports and clubs. Better yet, you may seek internships at national or international companies.
I have met many accomplished, well-educated, wealthy individuals (i.e., high socioeconomic status) interested in helping people with low socioeconomic status (SES). The usual question was: What can we do? And my answer has always been to find ways to connect with colleges and community organizations that serve the poor and disadvantaged thru education & certification training.
Blacks, Latinos, and rural disadvantaged individuals have had inadequate educational opportunities and access to capital. And high socioeconomic individuals will recognize creativity, talent, and dedication and, in turn, can access untapped human capital.
Improving economic connectedness can also be enhanced by participating in innovative “anchor courses*" connecting learners, job seekers, employees, and employees. It’s a safe space where everyone is equal and contributes based on their unique talents, creativity, cultural understanding, mindset, and skillset.
“Knowledge drives innovation; innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic growth.“ William Brody (born 1944), Scientist
*Innovative Anchor Courses
How does it work?: Once course participants complete an "anchor" course on “Innovation & Technology,” we continue providing access to the learning materials & discussions for as long as they want to connect with their peers and the instructor via LMS, and more recently, LMS & Zoom.
Why do that?: This allows participants to stay connected & engaged with the course content. And more importantly, continue learning from the interaction with the new learners added to the course. [Yes, we keep the previous participants (now executives and technical professionals!] These lifelong learners benefit from the course revisions and stay up-to-date. Further, online anchor courses facilitate continuing education and certifications required by rapidly evolving knowledge & work demands around the globe. And it fosters hiring opportunities.
Learners continue the discussions, even when we don't check daily on the system (i.e., Canvas LMS). It's gratifying to learn from my former students working in the field. Learning goes both ways; I genuinely love teaching and learning, which is one of the many reasons.
References
Chetty, R., Jackson, M.O., Kuchler, T. et al. Social capital I: measurement and associations with economic mobility. Nature 608, 108–121 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04996-4
Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P. & Saez, E. Where is the land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility in the United States. Q. J. Econ. 129, 1553–1623 (2014). 11.
Coleman, J. S. Social capital in the creation of human capital. Am. J. Social. 94, S95–S120 (1988).
Lin, N. & Dumin, M. Access to occupations through social ties. Soc. Netw. 8, 365–385 (1986).
Manduca, R. & Sampson, R. J. Punishing and toxic neighborhood environments independently predict the intergenerational social mobility of black and white children. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 7772–7777 (2019).