Skip to main content

Working in the Post 9/11 World

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the day that terrorists attacked the United States. The 9/11 anniversary is a somber day to remember those whom have lost their lives. For those of us in workforce development, we can also pause to think about how the American working world has changed.
 
The biggest change has been the focus on security of all types.  Protective Services as an industry has exploded with public and private protective services. For example, buildings that may have been open for the public to walk in without any screening, now have a Security Guard and often metal detectors stationed in front. At the airport, we have learned to be aware of what we carry in our luggage and what we are wearing. There are now people charged with screening our baggage, our bodies, our footwear, and the liquids we carry.  The federal Department of Homeland Security was created in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and is now has about 240,000 employees. This department encompasses many airport workers and other federal agencies that are involved with the safety and security of people.
 
 
Security is also a theme for things that we cannot see with the eye. There are now jobs monitoring the internet and our cyber-safety. The fear of attacks on our data as a country and even our personal data have caused the rise in cyber-security jobs in both the public and private sector. Private companies hire many people and firms to ensure that their data is safe from hackers.
 
As a society, we are more concerned and aware of our surrounds, so it is not any surprise that employers are more concerned about their employees. Background checks have exploded and can even be found for positions in doughnut shops. Employers are checking the criminal background and even credit background for their potential hires. 
 
The horrible tragedy that 9/11 was caused our country to be different, both in our personal lives and professional lives. It has caused us to be more aware of our surrounds and how as Americans we are one small part of the world.  In workforce development land, we connect the employers and job seekers. Many job seekers will apply for a job that protects people, places, or information. Many job seekers will apply for a job that will require a background check and to work in an environment that is more secure and protected than it was on before 9/11.
~Karen Cirincione
Twitter: @kcirincione

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mastering the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Project

An engaging book club discussion about email, how we work, and also just how we as people manage our lives. The more we talked the more I started to realize that essentially project management is essentially a life skill everyone needs to master to be successful. If we simplify Project Management down to the easiest way of explain it and applying, we can define it as taking a big end goal and break it down to smaller goals, figuring out the tasks with each smaller goal, and then allocating lots of resources along the way. Ultimately at the core of project management is planning and organizing, but communication is really at the heart of it all. A project may be big, like building a bridge, creating and implementing software, or it can be as small as figuring out what to make for dinner. Along the way to said goal, every step needs to be clear and everyone needs to communicate about all the said steps along the way. Sounds easy, but apparently it is not so simple. One would think ev...
Post a Comment
Read more

A WIOA Fairy Tale

I thought it was time to have a little fun with WIOA and write a fairy tale. My last fairy tale was published in June of 2014 and was before WIOA legislation. To read the first workforce development fairy tale, check out the archives. Once upon a time in a far off land called Weeoha, lived a community of residents. Many of these residents had jobs and careers, but some found themselves in need of services and assistance to get jobs. Some were reliant on the government for assistance with basic needs because they could not find jobs. Three of these residents, Jack Butcher, John Baker, and Josie Candlemaker, found themselves not satisfied with their lack of opportunity and decided to go on a pilgrimage to find the legendary Cup of Career Success.   According to urban legend, whomever drank from this cup was promised eternal employment and self-sufficient wages as long as they desired. Jack, John, and Josie set out on foot to find the legendary cup. Their first stop was to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How do you Birthday?

Another year in my life has passed. It’s time for another birthday. Each year as the day approaches, I take the time to reflect on my past year, my accomplishments, and my goals for the year. My birthday is like my personal New Years’ celebration with another opportunity to have the best year ever.   I am not afraid of a birthday. Age is just a number, but each year is what you make of it. Each year I have seen the sun rise, the rain fall, and the snow melt, I have been given a gift from the universe. Many people do not get to see another birthday. I owe myself the opportunity to set goals and feel proud as I work towards achieving them. Sometimes these goals have been born from unhappy feelings and bad situations, but growth brings wisdom.   In my working life, and especially as a workforce professional, I know some of my growth must be professionally. Having experience working with job seekers looking for jobs, I understand how crucial professional growth is...
Post a Comment
Read more