This time last year, I was part of a cohort of folks from across Maryland that made up the 2022 Leadership Maryland class. It was a great experience. The other economic development staff also participate in leadership skills training – Tara Hill-Coursey in Shore Leadership, and Kendall Teague in Dale Carnegie.
I bring this up because I recently saw a generational expert, Mark Perna, give a speech on what “young people” (those ages 42 and younger) want when it comes to work. Among the outcomes that millennials and Gen Z are looking for is training and education on how to be better leaders. Mr. Perna said that in order to be successful in the workplace, employees need “academic knowledge, technical competencies, and professional skills.” Those professional skills are what are sometimes referred to as “soft skills,” but they are the backbone for leadership.
There are many programs and pathways for leadership in Caroline County and the region. There is one program that lives in Caroline County Recreation and Parks – Counselors In Training. This program takes young people who are interested in working in the summer camp program and allows them to learn what it takes to lead. The cohort is a two-year program of pre-teens and young teenagers. They learn the ins-and-outs of working in a summer camp and the basic skills for leading a group – of campers and peers.
I spoke with the Recreation and Parks staff, Nicole Scott and Katie Cunningham, and some of the young people for an episode of the “Featured Insights with CCED” podcast. It was interesting to hear from the students what they want to do with the skills they learned now for summer camp and in the future for whatever comes their way.
If you have a chance to participate or send your staff to leadership training, it will be a great benefit. And it doesn’t have to be just millennials or Gen Z – I went to Leadership Maryland, and I am way beyond being called young!
FYI – Help us get the word out about the available space in Caroline County. If you have a supplier or customer that is looking for a great place to do business, please have them reach out to me.
Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.