Job Coach Joel's Column: Lest We Forget
{Contributed photo/Creative Commons}
Lest We Forget is borrowed from a line in a well-known Rudyard Kipling poem written in the 19th century. The phrase “lest we forget” means it should not be forgotten. We say or write “lest we forget” in commemorations to always remember the service and sacrifice of people who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
~Published in 1897 by Rudyard Kipling
As we pause to pay homage to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in service to our country for Memorial Day, let’s also look at the skills that we cannot forget and need to revive that propel this country to thrive forward.
The reason why the words Lest We Forget mean so much to me is that in 2013, MESNZ, the Maintenance Engineering Society of New Zealand, conference asked me to keynote its event. There are banners, billboards, shirts all over on display stating LEST WE FORGET. Learning how a small country innovated and survived was quite a meaningful experience as they pay homage continually to sacrifices of the past soldiers who fought from Australia and New Zealand and the reverence they showed was palpable and inspiring that we in America may want to emulate as well so that we carry forward key lessons and skill development so future generations do not allow critical essential skills to die off as generations pass on.
With the world currently focused on applications of Artificial Intelligence and the insecurities these new technologies are going to cause, we need to focus on the vocational job securities that AI will never be able to perform. Everyone is so focused on their phones and the internet but most do not know that the majority of the current workforce that manages and supports our infrastructure are poised to retire. So as fascinating as these new technologies are and offer so much potential, what will happen if a new generation of skilled techs emerge who will maintain and manage the electrical grid, support our plumbing needs, provide carpentry skills and all of the critical technical services that propel industry and our society forward?
Lest we forget the sacrifices previous generations made and adversities they overcame to make our social infrastructure stronger. As much as we glorify entertainment, let's remember this quote from former HEW Secretary John Garner as we are going to have plenty of hurricanes and other challenges we face that need to be shored up and skills developed.
The society that scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy; neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
Lest we forget how much we are blessed to reside in a wonderful area in Davidson County and stand on the achievements of past generations of innovators, workers and so many in our military who fought to protect us.
So, as you are celebrating, please encourage more of our youth to take on essential skill development at Davie Davidson Community College so that our collective futures are secure. Additionally, join us at the Give Work A Chance Job Fair to take on livable wage opportunities to help with the manufacturing renaissance underway in North Carolina. We need so many more maintenance techs and machinists to be developed to continue our growth.
As AI is going to be more a part of our daily lives, lest we forget that humans are still needed and always will have roles in propelling the future forward to manage the machines and support society’s progress.
