Elliott Suthers’ Post

Time to relax and reflect is vitally important in all fields.

There are 60 million workers in high-churn, low-wage jobs who are unable to access higher-wage work. According to our new research with The Burning Glass Institute, these are individuals who have gained valuable skills on the job, and could utilize apprenticeships to move into career pathway roles – if given the opportunity. This incredible talent pool wouldn’t just fill in-demand roles with qualified talent, but it would also increase diversity, equity, and inclusion as these workers are disproportionately women, Black, Hispanic, or living with economic disadvantages. Learn more, by downloading “Untapped Potential: How new apprenticeship approaches will increase access to economic opportunity.” https://lnkd.in/epSE_yEX

I'm often asked "What can I do to support you?" or "What can I do to support Black CPG professionals?" As we kick off Black History Month, here's something you can do today, here and now. I started Black Futures Fellowship in 2020 because, as I was scaling Partake Foods, I saw a talented yet homogenous talent pool. I saw an opportunity to open doors early for HBCU students while they are thinking about what careers are available and right for them. The Black Futures Fellowship was born from this vision in 2020, and we've made significant strides as a 501c3 organization in 2023/24. However, there's a challenge we're facing. In the final hour, several companies had to withdraw their commitment, and we have 6 talented students left without matches. It's unfortunate, but it won't deter us. In these times, I have to focus on putting feeling to action. And I want to get these students placed. 👉🏽 So, here's the ask. I have 6 amazing HBCU students looking for paid summer internship opportunities in CPG food & beverage. They are ready to talk to folks and all vetted by me and my team. If you have a network, an opportunity, an idea—for any of these potential fellows—please like and share this post, comment, and DM me. Let's get this done for these kids. Thank you in advance. Happy #BlackHistoryMonth. Let's help some #hbcu students start their futures. Together, we can make a lasting impact.

It was great to speak at the SCTP Apprenticeship Roadshow event recently, helping with information for prospective learners and their parents. Whether you are a learner, parent or employer considering taking someone on, please reach out and I can help explain what's involved, and how many benefits there really are for all involved. #heretohelp #apprenticeshipswork #recruitment

If You’re Black or Brown and thinking of going to college, You Still Have Options. Excerpt from: 𝐈𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐨w❓𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐 from Coalition4Justice "For some Black and brown students, earning a four-year degree is deemed a rite of passage. But for many, it is considered a privilege and out of reach. Whether you're the first in your family or one of a long line, applying to college can be daunting. While it’s true that some careers require a bachelor’s or graduate degree, there are enumerable good, well-paying career choices that can be had with a two-year associate degree, a certificate program, or a training program or apprenticeship in the skilled trades." 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫:   𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.  For example, there are different types of “intelligence”, a theory founded by Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner, which explains that everyone has natural strengths in different areas. There are ways to forge new paths and use your natural skills to your advantage. You might use this information to help guide your view. https://lnkd.in/gxi4uAuZ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eFBGd2MK Watch for my next post.

This article is a testament to the hard work of my colleagues in the Center for Career Excellence! Thanks for the shout-out, St. Lawrence University!

Buy a book and get a free beer??? ... that time I covered a bookstore promotion that caught the ire of the University of Nebraska Chancellor. This was a fun one to cover, especially since I was actually in my senior year at Baylor University. I was getting my final "internship" credits to graduate by working as a news reporter making $7.50/hour for KPTM in Omaha. Storytelling Tip: When a promotion or story has a controversial or compelling twist, you're going to get people's attention. Even if some people get riled up, what is most important is that your message lands with the target audience. This one is pretty obvious, but it's also pretty brilliant from the Nebraska Bookstore, which is adjacent to, but not affiliated with the University. The bookstore manager talked about the "customer-stickiness" when they get a customer to buy that first product. Values driven, privately held businesses work with Story on Purpose to leverage authentic storytelling to generate business leading up to a transition, drive culture through transition, and preserve Legacy post-transition. #storytelling #storytellingforbusiness #InstantClarity

College graduates who are unsure about their career direction can benefit from working administrative jobs as they explore their talents, skills and interests. See why in this post from Jordan Quigley of Robert Half.