It is not uncommon that the pandemic has severely hit the G7 economies with the rate of unemployment surging. Recently there was a statistic released by The Guardian that said 40 million Americans lost their jobs as of May end. The rate of employment continues to fall until today.

This staggering job loss marks a grim milestone in the economic crisis that has gripped the USA since the outbreak of this pandemic. It has triggered widespread shutdowns and the obvious salary cuts that come with stay-at-home orders. Job loss has hit every industry, though some are hit harder than the others. These reports and numbers yet do not show a complete picture of how many people were laid off due to the crisis.

So, what can be done to undo the situation? Undoing the entire situation may take some time as there lay a deep economic rebuttal to be done. But currently, the aim is to get America and the world back to work. New Horizon has a vision of ‘purpose-driven business’ as it is more successful. In the last few months, I have noticed a lot of people are enrolling in tech certifications to shift from their existing jobs. These certifications may ensure a better and higher paying job.

What has the Pandemic Taught Us?

The pandemic has also taught us an adage that I live by of keeping my eyes on data and my ears on people. It is good advice to anyone who is struggling now. People are generally biased and this bias can come from a plethora of instances. But we have data to mitigate our poor decisions and miscalculations because to err is to human. Yet, that human element must always be present. So, after examining the data, to reach a common consensus, I ask my colleagues, “This is what the data reflects, so what do you think?” Combining data and element has become more important now. And as a leader, I need to be updated about as much information I can gather from data. Additionally, you also need to find out what is going on with the employees’ life, their struggles, and bottlenecks, something that no data can conclusively portray.

The COVID crisis comes with a lot of negatives, like coming face-to-face with failures that have become a challenge with online learning. But it has also shown the power of technology. The need of the hour is to keep technology systems stable, help people get online, and nurture them. People with these skills have amazing career opportunities, especially in areas of software, development operations, and security engineering. Who knows, if IT professionals will be called essential workers post COVID.

A Paradigm Shift from what we used to be Pre and Post Covid

Will the Pandemic permanently change the way we act, behave, and perceive? Maybe, as COVID has already accelerated a lot of trends like online education, online shopping, and remote working. These trends will become standard practices in our lives. We all are now forced to re-think Work-Life Balance and figuring a way out to prioritize our time. Finally, as employers and organization leaders, we must understand that work happens wherever your employees are and that their children may be with them. The world of work is going to fundamentally change.

So, how is New Horizon making life simpler during this Pandemic? We are tracking student’s competencies to earn national certifications which enable them to start a new career or land a higher paying job. Unlike simply taking an online course, national certification helps students stand out in this competitive market. Furthermore, workers who have multi-tiered national certifications can survive a recession or pandemic, because they can pivot and move into other positions. We’re investing heavily in technology and immersive technologies to improve our online educational experience. We’re also investing in advanced technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence to ensure we are creating the most innovative learning experiences.

Lastly, I am gonna leave you with one of my favorite quote from the autobiography of Malcolm X which I read when I was 11, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” When you want to do something that defies conventional wisdom, you’ll run into resistance.
If you want to know more about me, you can follow us at NewHorizons.com or follow me, go to my website, https://www.davesaben.com/. We have to help each other, especially during these times. If we can connect people with an education that’s inexpensive, quick, and results in a high-paying job, that’s a good day.