Preparing Young Leaders for Their Future
Your children graduate from school and are ready to join the workforce, or are they? Missing Skills University has a passion for preparing young people for “what’s next” in life.
The Fishers-based Missing Skills U was started by Todd and Mary Troup with the idea of preparing tomorrow’s leaders with real-life tips and experience of what the workforce will be like.
“Todd and I have made our own career blunders and had to learn the hard way to navigate the business waters to gain a certain level of job success and satisfaction,” Mary says. “This pushed us to consider what was missing from our education that should have been basic to preparing for the job world. I knew that Todd had been writing curriculum for the past 5 years based on his observations of people making career mistakes and poor life choices. He turned this information into how to avoid these business landmines, how to manage your life after college and how to bounce back from setbacks. Our goal is to prepare you for what’s next instead of waiting until it’s too late.”
On average, most students spend 17 years in school — from kindergarten to college. So, Todd says, it is critical how you spend those 17 years of school. The decisions you make and the lessons you receive are critical. Knowing more about what to expect in your future helps drive your learning, and those choices can make or break the next 40 years of your life.
“The problem I see is that the school curriculum barely prepares you for the real skills needed to succeed,” Todd says. “Don’t get me wrong, school is critical to learning, but it doesn’t go far enough. Even your A+ students lack the basic skills needed for life and business, simply because we wait to teach them until they’re on the job.”
Missing Skills University’s goal is to prepare tomorrow’s leaders by incorporating a curriculum that includes hands-on training and instruction. At Missing Skills U, students receive workplace instructions using real life, role-play scenarios that will coach them on the best ways to be prepared and be effective in the workforce. Missing Skills U’s curriculum also includes courses on time management, finances, life choices and social media, among others.
“When you came out of school, how much did you really not know that you wish you had known earlier?” Todd says. “Our goal is to prepare students to learn these skills earlier in life, which translates into a clearer vision of what they can expect and avoid costly career mistakes.”
Missing Skills U also partners to offer their curriculum to institutions such as schools, churches, businesses, prisons, foster care, etc. Todd says, even the current workforce needs these skills, because they were never offered and are still not offered.
“Most kids have no idea what it takes to overcome life’s challenges because we don’t challenge them,” Todd adds. “Many of them think a challenge is when the wifi is out and they can’t connect. We want to challenge them more often with scenarios they will face, to be better prepared in both Life and Business. We talk about the value of time. All the training in the world doesn’t replace time, which equals experience. That’s one more reason why we teach business and life skills lessons at an early age, instead of waiting to learn these skills once you’re out of the house and on the job. Why wait until after graduation? Start now, and get ahead of the curve.”
At the end of the day, Missing Skills University hopes to shape tomorrow’s leaders.
“The world needs leaders,” Mary says. “The tail end of the Baby Boomers are leaving the workforce. This is the largest exit of management talent ever, opening up the most job advancement opportunities ever. Yet all studies show that most, not all, but most graduates are less prepared to advance in their careers than ever before. We aim to close that gap. The schools, STEM courses, and being on their smart devices do not prepare a student for what it really takes to be ready.”
Missing Skills U will offer a $75 special for their “Foundations for High School Students” class. The 4-week class meets Monday weekly starting Oct 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Indy’s North Side. To reserve your seat or inquire about partnering opportunities, visit MissingSkillsU.com or give them a call today at 317-698-5531.
