This detailed look at young adults in the workplace tells us some things that are not surprising: a 21-year-old entering the workforce today exchanged a quarter of a million e-mails, texts and IMs in her life. She is also far more likely to own an IPod, created a blog, or share a mashup What they essay does do is place this in a context “sharing, staying connected, instantaneity, multi-tasking, assembling random information into patterns, and using technology in new ways.” In one anecdote, an executive interviewing a young candidate:

…She was IM'ing, had her PDA on, her cell phone, the whole thing.... I was so put off. I thought, 'She's not paying attention!' And so I asked her, 'LaShonda, what do you think will be the impact of technology on the future of work
?' She looked me in the eye and asked, 'What do you mean by technology?' I looked at all of her gadgets on the table and said, 'Like this stuff!' She said, 'This is only technology for people who weren't raised with it….For LaShonda, IM'ing and texting are like breathing. Fish don't know they're in water. LaShonda didn't consider her gadgets technology."

While this may not relate directly to Boomers and texting, it does highlight one of the generational differences that texting has helped to create and intensify. Technology-scanning on the part of young people–what the author calls “continuous partial attention”–is a source of dismay to Boomers, who often see it as less efficient and more rude.

This system allows you to build a table showing injuries due to all sorts of workplace injuries. What is the average number of days missed due to runins with various pieces of equipment, etc.

See web site for more info on "Areas of Excellence," which Alcoa funds:

Safe & Healthy Children & Families

Ensuring that children and their families have the tools, the knowledge and the services to remain healthy and safe at home, in the community and in the workplace.

Conservation & Sustainability

Demonstrating our commitment to conservation by educating young leaders, protecting our forests, promoting sound public policy research, and understanding the linkages between business and the environment.

Global Education & Workplace Skills

Broadening student and adult participation through education in technical areas central to Alcoa to ensure that a diverse cross-section of our communities is economically connected, workplace ready and globally competitive.

Business & Community Partnerships

Seeding notions of corporate citizenship community by community to strengthen the non-profit sector and to develop meaningful partnerships among non-profits, the private sector and local government.