On December 1, 2020, The New York Times published a story called “Reinventing Workers for the Post-COVID Economy.” Since many service industry jobs may not be coming back, the report argued that training programs providing skills for more resilient occupations could help service industry workers navigate to a better financial future — for themselves and for their families. However, the report said, training is a challenge.
We at EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) believe that the key to supporting these individuals is training that not only focuses on skills, but also addresses the key elements of individual resilience — vision, passion and empowerment.
In today’s economy, the ability to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset is essential for not only emerging entrepreneurs, but also job seekers, small business owners trying to pivot, students, individuals seeking solutions to social woes, and librarians.
EBSCO has partnered with the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative, a global leader in entrepreneurial mindset education to bring its online, self-paced, 10-hour video-based course to your community. During this digital program, users will watch and listen as individuals with little or no business experience share the thinking and actions that led to their financial success. Through this program, users will not only identify and validate their business ideas, but also be inspired to pursue their startup dreams.
Libraries: Sweet Spots in Economic Development
Your library is probably facing budget reductions at the same time it is experiencing increased demands for vital services. But now is the time to devote resources to increasing the entrepreneurial mindset of your users and the economic development ecosystem of your community.
Jennifer Hensel, Assistant Director of LAUNCH Greensboro (NC), the local Chamber of Commerce’s incubator, says that libraries are not only known and trusted in their communities, but they also reach everyone and are grounded in serving individuals. This is a contrast to Hensel’s users who must self-identify as entrepreneurs to seek out her services. Among a library’s users are its community’s most likely entrepreneurs, but these individuals may not be aware of the emerging entrepreneur that resides within.
Surfacing and Servicing the Entrepreneurs Among Your Users
EBSCO’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Training Course not only helps emerging innovators discover their inner entrepreneur, but it also helps furloughed, laid-off employees understand that they have the power to choose their own futures. Participants in this course will leave it feeling empowered and energized to act on a vision of their financial future that they can create and make happen whether that means starting a business or becoming the type of employee that businesses, service agencies and government will need moving forward.
