Update/Context Introduction: As industries evolve, technical expertise alone is no longer enough to ensure long-term success in the workforce. Employers increasingly seek individuals who can think critically, solve problems, and adapt to new challenges. Recognizing this need, Life Skills Academy (LSA) will introduce the Applied Entrepreneurial Mindset (AEM) program in Fall 2025. This initiative builds on more than a decade of experience with the Entrepreneurial Mindset class, now expanding to include hands-on, project-based learning across multiple technical and fabrication disciplines.

The AEM program is designed to equip participants—not just with technical skills, but with the confidence and problem-solving abilities that make them more competitive in today’s job market. Local employers emphasize the value of hiring individuals who bring both mindset and versatility to the workplace, increasing engagement and adaptability across different roles.

This approach aligns with national conversations on workforce development, reinforcing that technical training must go beyond job-specific skills to cultivate a proactive, engaged workforce.

Technical Programs Need to Offer More Than the Technical Specifics 

It turns out, others are making the same discovery. The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) is the company that developed the "Ice House Entrepreneurship Program" I've used since August of 2012 to instill this kind of thinking in our Entrepreneurial Mindset classes. I was honored in October of 2017 to share a break-out presentation with Bree Langemo, then ELI president, about how our workforce development programs should include training to instill this kind of thinking, along with the technical training in the particular disciplines.  The presentation took place during the annual conference of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). The audience consisted of work force educators from community colleges around the country and was focused on making work force programs more competitive. This really was not only about helping schools distinguish their work force programs from one another, but also about making the students more competitive as they enter the work force. My part of the presentation had to do with how a project-based maker experience could add to more engaging work forces. 

Engaged, Not Engaged and Actively Disengaged 

Bree presented a startling statistic from the Gallup people about the state of current engagement of the work force. Only 13% of the employees in the work force are actively engaged in their work, involved and enthusiastic, and taking positive action toward the missions of their organizations. Sixty-three percent are not engaged. They lack passion for their job and tend to look at the job as punching a time clock in exchange for a paycheck. Twenty-four percent are disengaged, unhappy and disconnected, bringing negativity to the workplace and jeopardizing team performance. Think about this for a minute. It means that if you had 20 employees in a rowboat, three are enthusiastically rowing in a forward direction; twelve are not really doing anything except maybe slapping their oars in the water while five are actually rowing backwards. This is what employers are faced with in trying to be competitive in their markets.

Applied Entrepreneurial Mindset Offers Mindset and Versatility 

We believe strongly in this idea and are developing a program we call "Applied Entrepreneurial Mindset (AEM.)" It will involve the Entrepreneurial Mindset class to instill problem solving skills and self-confidence.  The program also includes a "buffet" of projects involving introductions to several technical and fabrication disciplines. Local employers have told us they like the idea of having someone show up for work with a problem-solving attitude and a variety of knowledge and skills. The employers say this makes them more competitive by having employees that are versatile and able to work in different areas of the company while interested and engaged in the company mission. AEM will be available in the fall of this year, 2025.

Participants in our work force programs as well as nearly any of our more traditional academic programs would benefit from having an entrepreneurial mindset and introduction to a wide variety of digital and hands-on making experiences. The combination of these disciplines tend to make people much better problems solvers, more curious and much more engaged when they enter the marketplace, either as small business owners serving customers or workers enthusiastically engaged in a competitive business.