Those who have heard Mark Perna speak know how compelling he can be. Mark spent two days in Lancaster County, first addressing attendees at the STEM Alliance’s annual Workforce Summit and then speaking at a Career Ready Lancaster! Connections Meeting. The audiences were similar: business professionals, educators, and community leaders—many of us also parents.
His central message is clear: Gen Z and Gen Alpha are not challenges to overcome, but assets to develop and empower. Whatever label we give a generation, those of us who came before inevitably compare today’s young people with ourselves at their age. It is natural to weigh the challenges they face against those we encountered years ago. But when we do, we risk missing opportunities to meet young people where they are rather than where we think they should be.
Perna emphasizes that young people are motivated by purpose, relevance, and human connection. They are more likely to engage when they understand why something matters and how it connects to their future goals. The same is true of adult learners; perhaps we are not so far apart after all. Mark advocates helping students build a personal competitive advantage by combining academic knowledge, technical competencies, and professional and life skills. He cautions against focusing on academics alone, reminding us that many C students possess the technical and life skills employers need.
Four takeaways stood out:
1. Create meaningful connections with young people by ensuring they feel seen, heard, and valued. Meet them where they are.
2. Focus on lifestyle, not job titles. What do you want your days to look like?
3. Encourage exploration through flexible, “for-now” career directions. What do you want to do next?
4. Build stronger partnerships among education, business, and community organizations to create clear pathways from learning to employment. Help young people see a path from an entry-level role to the lifestyle they envision.
The response from the high school students in the audience may have been the clearest measure of Mark’s message. Several said they felt “seen, heard, and valued.” They described a sense of relief in hearing that they do not need to have their futures completely mapped out—and that what they are doing now, what interests them, and what they enjoy already matter. When a message about young people resonates so strongly with young people themselves, it is worth our attention. For educators and business leaders, the challenge is equally clear: let’s move beyond academic benchmarks alone and begin educating and hiring for competency. It is time to get into the career-building business. They are not the same—and our students need us to know the difference.