Digital Citizenship Summit will Bring State, National Tech Experts to Connecticut

Connecticut will be the center of the digital universe this fall, when the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in West Hartford hosts a Digital Citizenship Summit, bringing local and national experts together to explore the good, the bad and the ugly about the pervasive and ubiquitous use of technology in our personal and professional lives. The term “digital citizenship” describes appropriate, responsible tech and Internet use. Similar to the rights and responsibilities involved in being a citizen, there are legal and ethical obligations with being a digital citizen, organizers explain.

The aim of the Digital Citizenship Summit, to be held on October 3, is to create positive, practical solutions along with amplifying the overall message of improving tech usage. Topics for the all-day Summit include digital literacy, etiquette, wellness, security, and law.

“We believe that digital citizenship deserves its own space for educational, non-profit, and industry leaders to focus on solutions and push new ideas forward focused on positive, practical solutions to improve our use of technology and the Internet. The Digital Citizenship Summit aims to bring together the various silos of thought and activity across the country in order to create a stronger, more unified message for better tech usage,” organizers said.

This inaugural event is being sponsored by the University of Saint Joseph’s School of Education, Office of Student Affairs and Office of Informational Technology and will engage students, teachers, parents, administrators and policy makers in a dynamic conversation focused on digital citizenship.  It comes in the first semester of the administration of incoming university President Rhona Free, who takes office July 1.  Free is a past national Professor of the Year as selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Plans are for the Summit to include a panel discussion, breakaway sessions, a keynote talk TED-style, and a social event to “connect with all the fascinating big thinkers across the country who are pivotal in shaping digital citizenship.”

Among the speakers will be:

• Alan Katzman is Founder of Social Assurity, the leading youth social media advisory service in the country. They work with students and families on customized social media training to maximize the students’ opportunities and use of social media to their advantage.  He is an entrepreneur and former attorney with an expertise in law, technology and software, compliance, human resources and investigations.
• Mike Ribble: Known as the godfather of digital citizenship, Kansas-based Ribble is an international speaker, researcher and author of the books Digital Citizenship in Schools (soon to be in its 3rd edition) and Raising a Digital Child. He has worked within the education field his entire career, including as a science educator, an assistant principal at the high school level, and adjunct faculty at the college level.
• Jennifer Scheffer: Mobile Learning Coach and Instructional Technology Specialist at Burlington, MA Public Schools, she is a dynamic and energetic teacher leader with over a decade of experience teaching project-based computer technology, marketing, and business management courses. She coaches students on how to leverage social media tools to showcase their talents, create a positive online presence, and build their professional network.
• Sarah Thomas is a Google Certified Teacher and Edmodo Certified Teacher, as well as a leader of the Washington, DC Google Educator Group and founder of the EduMatch project. She is the Technology Liaison at John Hanson French Immersion School in Oxon Hill, MD and teaches Technology Integration and English Language Arts at the middle school level.  She is a recipient of the 2014 Digital Innovation in Learning Award and was named by the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in 2015.

The organizing committee for the Summit includes:

• David Ryan Polgar, a frequent speaker and respected tech commentator whose ideas and thoughts concerning digital citizenship have been featured in publications including The Boston Globe, Financial Times, Sydney Morning Herald, US News & World Report, and Forbes. With a background as an attorney and college professor, he examines the use of technology from an ethical, legal, and emotional perspective.
• Marlialice B.F.X. Currran, an Associate Professor at USJ, focuses on digital citizenship and social media in K-12 teacher education. A former middle school teacher, principal and an advocate for young adolescents, Curran was named one of the Top 10 Digital Citizenship bloggers by Common Sense Media in 2014.
• JoAnn Freiberg is an Educational Consultant with the Connecticut State Department of Education, responsible for managing bullying, improving school climate and character education, and has taught at numerous colleges in Connecticut and currently is Co-Chair of the National School Climate Council.

Often referred to as a Tech Ethicist, Polgar has become a respected and unique voice in the digcit community. He is a contributing writer with the Family Online Safety Institute, iKeepSafe, and The Good Men Project, along with appearing regularly on television to discuss issues such as tech balance, cyber ethics, and tech etiquette.  He has delivered two TEDx talks on digital technology.

In describing Dr. Curran, Common Sense Media said “she is a long-time proponent of responsible online behavior, and encourages her undergraduate and graduate students to learn and explore what it means to be socially responsible both face to face and online, how teaching empathy is the most important 21st century skill and how social media can change teaching and learning in PK-12 classrooms.” Dr. Curran and Tracy Mercier co-founded the digital citizenship #digcit chat on Twitter in 2011. The first chat was inspired as a result of a digital citizenship course at USJ.

Registration for the Summit will be available later this spring, along with additional details regarding the agenda and program, at the website www.digcitsummit.com.

Photo: Marlialice B.F.X.Curran,  David Ryan Polgar,  JoAnn Freiberg. 

Connecticut Has Most Disengaged Employees; State Tied for Last Place in Gallup Survey

Actively disengaged employees are not just unhappy at work, these employees undermine the accomplishments of their engaged coworkers. They monopolize managers' time, account for more quality defects and quit at a higher rate than engaged employees. No state in the nation has more actively disengaged workers than Connecticut, according to a new two-year survey by the Gallup organization, for the period January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2014.

There is a four-way tie between Connecticut, New York, Michigan and Kentucky for the highest percentage of actively disengaged workers – 21 percent in each state, according to the Gallup survey. Residents of South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Vermont reported the lowest percentages of actively disengaged workers, each with less than 15 percent. The national average for 2013-2014 was 18 percent active disengagement.

On the other side of the ledger, workers in Montana (39%), followed closely by those in Mississippi (37%) and Louisiana (36%), had the highest levels of employee engagement in 2013 and 2014. With 22 percent of workers engaged, the District of Columbia had the lowest employee engagement, followed by New York, Minnesota and Connecticut. Nationally, 31 percent of workers were engaged during this time period.

Gallup identifies workers as engaged, not engaged or actively disengaged based on their responses to items that assess key workplace elements found to predict important business outcomes.

• Engaged employees are involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. Day after day, they are passionate about their jobs and feel a profound connection to their company. They are more productive, drive innovation and promote organizational growth.
• Not engaged employees are essentially "checked out." They demonstrate less concern about customers, productivity and profitability. They do not own or feel passionately about their work.
• Actively disengaged employees are not just unhappy at work; these employees undermine the accomplishments of their engaged coworkers. They monopolize managers' time, account for more quality defects and quit at a higher rate than engaged employees.

In its analysis, Gallup points out that “Active disengagement tends to be more highly related to labor market trends such as unemployment, underemployment and letting people go.” Previous Gallup research has indicated that employees in very small companies (fewer than 10 employees) have higher rates of engagement and lower rates of active disengagement – which Gallup suggests may be related to the psychological ownership and autonomy that is often present in small companies.

Rates of unemployment and underemployment are also associated with variation in engagement, Gallup’s analysis points out. Recent employment statistics and overall U.S. workforce trends suggest that active disengagement has declined in line with decreases in unemployment and underemployment.  Connecticut’s economic recovery has lagged, although the number of jobs created has steadily climbed.

Ten Innovative Economic Development Plans Due This Month in Hartford’s Strong Cities Challenge

As one of three cities selected as part of a competitive process to participate in the Strong Cities Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative under the auspices of the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Hartford has 10 teams of economic development innovators coming down the home stretch in developing and outlining their inventive economic development proposals. The EDA-funded SC2 Hartford Challenge, launched 14 months ago, is in its final phase. Ten multidisciplinary teams of finalists are working on plans aimed at helping to establish Hartford as a “city for entrepreneurs.” The U.S. Economic Development Administration notes that the goal of the SC2 Hartford Challenge is to generate economic development plans that “both leverage local assets and compliment larger trends and opportunities.”

City and community leaders will judge the plans and choose six winners who will share $800,000 in prize money, with the top plan receiving $500,000. The City of Hartford and the EDA will jointly own the winning plans and be able to implement the ideas—both in Hartford and in other cities around the country. Plans are due this week, with six winners to be announced in May.  Funds for the winning plans are provided by EDA.

The two other cities selected — Greensboro, N.C. and Las Vegas — opted to focus on a single project or hire a consulting firm. Hartford officials preferred to provide area residents with an opportunity to create locally-driven proposals and created an open competition, which initially saw 58 teams developing plans, which were then winnowed down to a top 10 last fall.

The most recent descriptions highlighting the teams’ respective economic development plans include:

Hartford.Health.Works (HHW) is an industry-led collaboration with the mission to increase the number of good quality jobs in Hartford by fostering healthcare technology development and manufacturing. To attract existing med tech companies and foster new companies, HHW is creating a FDA-approved, ISO-certified medical device prototyping and manufacturing plant in Hartford and implementing targeted programs to improve access to: A) expertise; B) capital; and C) markets. HHW is also developing biomedical engineering and precision manufacturing education and job training programs at the K-12, college, and graduate school levels. HHW founding partners include: Rising-Tide Health Care, BEACON, and Movia Robotics.

Choose Hartford is a comprehensive initiative to scale up businesses that will create a sustainable regional economy with long-term growth prospects and jobs. The plan aims to increase access to innovative capital options along with an across-the-board effort to ensure collaboration of local, regional, state and federal partners to create the best entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.

It’s All Here is an asset based economic development model which will build wealth and raise incomes in all of Hartford’s neighborhoods. The team believes that self-employment and small business ownership is the best way to build a new future for all of the city’s residents. Lasting, sustainable economic development has to be built on the talents of city residents, giving access and visibility to new markets and service providers using an interactive website, a multi-lingual call center, physical market locations, and turnkey digital street signage.

Made in Hartford is an entrepreneurial ecosystem to empower Hartford’s community. With a culture of innovation, tradition of industrial adaptation, and healthy urban core, Hartford is ripe for attracting and retaining entrepreneurs. The plan recommends coordinated, strategic actions that will work in tandem with existing investments to provide a sustainable ecosystem for first-time and serial entrepreneurs. Central to this ecosystem is ‘Made-in-Hartford’, a seed accelerator that will cultivate industries and businesses through incubation, mentoring, equity-capital and partnerships. Made-in-Hartford targets Hartford’s established industry clusters and human capital to spark much-needed economic diversification, and at its maturity ancillary initiatives will incentivizing successful entrepreneurs to reinvest in this entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing about an economic renaissance.

Team Fotofiction: For those of us in the business of innovation, our mantra is: Think outside the box. Unconventional success isn’t born with conventional thinking. Game-changing, outside-the-box ideas often emerge from the most unexpected places. Re-purposing shipping containers is innovative and cutting edge, yet not unproven. From Los Angeles to New Zealand, these containers are being used for a variety of new purposes. The FRATE concept: to create an urban community, where people will live, work, dine and shop in a dynamic, trend-setting environment constructed entirely of modified shipping containers. FRATE thinks inside the box. FRATE is that game changer.

Solutionists focuses on remediating the economic environment that qualified Hartford for the SC2 Challenge, viewing the task as developing a strategy that will result in increased employment opportunities for Hartford residents -- now, and in the future. The plan embraces Social Enterprise and Collective Impact strategies by creating an ecosystem of spirit, policy and financial incentives that encourage and support Social Entrepreneurs in their efforts to start and grow the types of businesses that will produce desired results for Hartford and the Region.

#lovehartford will implement low cost interventions that promote economic development, foster social interactions, and support changing transportation dynamics founded on the growing demand for affordable urban environments that support the sharing economy and reduce reliance on the private automobile. Short-term projects include the demonstration of open streets with pop-up markets and food trucks. Longer-term projects include a bike share system and support for other evolving transportation technology, like the driverless car. #lovehartford will offer micro-loans to grow small business, and will look to provide locations that include creative placemaking through murals, public art, and other cultural programming.

Also among the ten competitors are Entrepreneur Foundation, community bootstrapping through entrepreneurship; Made at Swift, a food-driven innovation cluster to create jobs and improve population health; and CJM Innovations, fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem for students and young professionals.

Nooyi, Miles, Bourke-White to be Inducted into CT Women's Hall of Fame

Three women who made their mark internationally in their respective fields of endeavor will be honored by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame at the 22nd Annual Induction Ceremony & Celebration this fall. The theme, “Connecticut Women - Global Impact” will be reflected in the noteworthy careers of:

• Carolyn Miles - President and CEO of Save the Children, international leader creating change for children around the world
• Indra Nooyi - Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo known for her global leadership, strategy, corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts
• Margaret Bourke-White - First female photographer for Life magazine and first female American war photojournalist

The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

To be considered for induction to the Connecticut Women’s Hall of fame, a nominee must:

• be a Connecticut native and/or Connecticut resident
• be the first woman, historic or living, to achieve recognition in her field of endeavor; or have a lifetime of achievement in that field
• have made a significant statewide contribution to arts, athletics, business, government, philanthropy, humanities, science, education, etc.

Nooyi and her family live in Connecticut, and she previously earned a master’s degree at Yale University.  Miles works in Fairfield, where the headquarters of the internationally acclaimed Save the Children is located.  Bourke-White died in 1971 and lived in Connecticut in her later years, after an illustrious landmark career as a photo journalist, most notably for LIFE magazine.

The global Save the Children movement currently serves over 143 million children in the US and in more than 120 countries.  Miles joined the organization in 1998, was COO from 2004-2011, and became President and CEO in September 2011. Under her senior leadership, the organization has more than doubled the number of children it reaches with nutrition, health, education and other programs.  Miles was named this year as one of the 50 World's Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine.

Nooyi is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. In its global food and beverage portfolio, PepsiCo has 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo's main businesses include Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola, with more than $66 billion in annual net revenue.

The Induction Ceremony is the signature program of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, which brings the mission of the organization to life. From its inception in 1994, the Ceremony has been a forum for women to gather, share stories and celebrate the achievements of exceptional women who have paved the way for the current generation to enjoy freedoms and choices unheard of even a few decades ago.

While several living women are inducted into the Hall each year, the organization has traditionally placed heavy emphasis on uncovering the stories of extraordinary women and their accomplishments, “stories that heretofore have received little or no recognition.”

The Annual Induction Ceremony typically brings more than 800 of Connecticut’s civic, corporate and government leaders together. Each Inductee is honored with a short tribute film which chronicles her struggles and achievements. These films are currently produced by Karyl Evans, a five-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker in collaboration with CPTV’s film crew and are also used as educational tools throughout the year.

The Honorary Event Chair for the 2015 Induction Ceremony is Linda Koch Lorimer, Vice President for Global and Strategic Initiatives at Yale University.

Hartford, Bridgeport Turn to Splashy Websites, Slogans to Promote Cities

Connecticut’s major cities have dual personalities on the internet – one aimed primarily at city residents, the other at potential visitors and prospective residents.  While one site is chock full of detailed information that is the lifeline for locals – with listings of city agencies, services, and department contacts – the other is dominated by splashy photographs, engaging messages, and enticing activities. Such is the marketing of urban cores in the age of the internet, mobile technology and social media – with an eye towards economic development and young professionals seeking an urban address.

In Hartford, the government site is www.hartford.gov and the event-laden site is www.hartford.com   The marketing site currently features a photo of the National Champion UConn Huskies basketball team, which fills the entire home page, save for links to Upcoming Events and Restaurants & Bars.  The menu includes Things to Do, Places to Go, and Everything Else (such as a category named Awesome Things).  The theme Hartford Has It, the city’s tagline, appears on both sites.

The www.hartford.gov site is led by an announcement of road closures in the city due to construction, and features links to government agencies, business services and visitors information, and police.  Hartford history highlights and facts about the city are included, along with a heading called “residents,” which includes a directory of city services, public health, public safety, family services and a link to “Pay Your Taxes.”

In Bridgeport, the city services site is  www.bridgeportct.gov but most of the advertising, including a full-page ad in the latest issue of the Fairfield County Business Journal, is for www.bridgeportbettereveryday.com   The site, which features the headline “Park City” above “bridgeport, ct” highlights livability, green Bridgeport, schools, parks and jobs & economy.  The theme of the site, “Bridgeport is getting better every day,” is reflected in the site’s URL, and the text featured on the home page:

“Bridgeport is a city on the way up. We've got a lot of work to do, but we're investing in the future, making our city a place where our kids and grandkids will choose to live, work and raise their families. We're improving the city by building schools, re-opening parks, making downtown more vibrant, and developing the waterfront. And by investing in cleaner energy, we're creating better jobs and our kids will breathe cleaner air. Bridgeport is getting better every day.”

Individual can sign up for emails from the city in order to “Be the first to know about the ways Bridgeport is getting better every day.”  Material on the site is copyrighted by the City of Bridgeport.

The site points out that:

• Bridgeport is becoming one of America’s greenest cities.
• We’ve got a long way to go, but schools in Bridgeport are getting better every day.
• Bridgeport’s been known as “Park City” for well over a century. And for good reason.
• Bridgeport is a great place to live for families, young professionals, seniors, and everyone in between.

In New Haven, the city government website, www.cityofnewhaven.com, includes a home page message from Mayor Toni Harp, and an array of links to various city services.  Although not produced by the city, the websites www.infonewhaven.com and www.visitnewhaven.com offer information, events, and entertainment information about the city.

Museum Store Association Brings National Conference to Hartford; Wadsworth Atheneum Is Award Finalist

The Wadsworth Atheneum’s Museum Store is one of five nominees for the 2015 Museum Store Association (MSA) Visual Merchandising award, which recognizes excellence in visual merchandising by a museum institution. The award will be given on Sunday, April 19 in Hartford – on the final day of the Museum Store Association’s national conference, being held this weekend at the Connecticut Convention Center. Nominations were evaluated based on creative use of resources, collaboration and how well the display extends the museum experience.  The other finalists are the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Eastern National and Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

The 2015 MSA Retail Conference & Expo, organizers point out, is designed to help nonprofit retail professionals succeed by offering dynamic learning sessions and opportunities to connect with select MSA vendors who offer products matched with the museum store industry.

In Hartford for the annual conference are approximately 300 museum store professionals and more than 200 select vendors who offer products and services for nonprofit and independent retailers. When the conference location in Hartford was announced 15 months ago, it was expected to bring in 900 participants downtown utilizing an estimated 1,130 room nights, according to organizers.

Learning sessions throughout the conference are presented by “the leading thinkers in nonprofit retailing who share the knowledge you need to run your store, meet the needs of management, make the most out of challenges, be a leader and through retailing contribute to your institution’s brand and extend the experience of your visitors.”

It is the first time the national conference is being hosted in Hartford.  In recent years host cities have been Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Chicago.  The national meeting also includes a “retail boot camp” and a tour of the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford.

The outstanding line-up of speakers includes Roderick Buchanan, the director of buying and retail sales at the British Museum Company, where he has overseen the redevelopment of the stores, products and customer service culture and increased profits four-fold since 2008.  Buchanan will deliver the conference opening keynote on Saturday morning.  The closing keynote speaker on Sunday will be Dick Durrance, described as one of the most versatile photographers of his generation. His well-known portfolio includes images from Vietnam combat, National Geographic stories, global advertising campaigns, National Parks and the world’s great golf courses.

Sessions for industry attendees include Open To Buy Workshop, Retail Boot Camp, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Retailers, Sales Guaranteed: The Only Four Things You Need to Know to Improve Museum Store Sales, Perspectives On Fair Trade, 29 Tech Tools to Create Cool Content for Social Media, Looking at Business Through Your Customers’ Eyes and eCommerce A to Z: Selling the Museum Experience Online.

In addition to the Wadsworth Atheneum, other MSA member institutions in the area include the Connecticut Historical Society Museum & Library, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, New Britain Museum of American Art and Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum. Manager of the Museum Shop at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Stacey Stachow, is immediate past MSA Board President.

“Retailers often find themselves doing a balancing act every day, performing a variety of functions and responsibilities,” said Jama Rice, MSA Executive Director/CEO. “They balance inventory control, staffing, merchandising, displays, financial management, marketing and even event planning, and at the same time they must stay apprised of all that’s happening at their institutions and stores. The 2015 Conference & Expo will provide tools to help balance the balancing act.”

Now in its 60th year, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association dedicated to advancing the success of nonprofit retail professionals in extending the brand and contributing to the bottom lines of their institutions. MSA serves over 1,500 members in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Asia and Europe.

CT Is Second-Tier State in Innovation Ranking of States; Earns Top Grades in Investment, Internet

Connecticut is among the second tier of states, described as an “innovation leader,” in the inaugural Innovation Scorecard compiled by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).  The first-of-its-kind innovation performance index is based on ten criteria, and evaluates all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the conduciveness of their legal, regulatory and overall business environments to welcome and encourage innovation. The Innovation Scorecard’s first group of Innovation Champions – those states that earned the highest grades – are Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

Connecticut’s grades range from A- in the “attracts investment” and “fast internet” categories to a C in “tax-friendliness,” D in “innovation friendly sustainable policies,” and F in “right to work.”  The state also received a B in four categories:  entrepreneurial activity, tech workforce, grants STEM degrees and innovation momentum.

The analysis notes that in Connecticut, “the public and private sector are funding incubators including the Connecticut Enterprise Center, Institute of Technology & Business Development and UConn Technology incubation Program to help startups launch their businesses and become financially viable companies.”

The Innovation Scorecard assesses the progress of state policies intended to advance innovation and improve business climates, while also tracking states’ responsiveness to disruptive innovation. Using established economic, educational and legislative data, the report issues grades across ten categories, including: right-to-work laws; policies that support new business models; tax friendliness; Internet speed; and size of the tech workforce.

After the innovation champions group that tops the list, the next category (innovation leader) includes Connecticut and 19 other states, including Vermont and New Hampshire in New England and Washington and Oregon on the West Coast.

Connecticut is one of only five states to receive an A, A- or A+ in the “attracts investment” category.  The others are California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Delaware.  Nine states and Washington, D.C. receive an A, A- or A+ for “fast internet.”  Among them are Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Among the CEA report’s key findings:

• Delaware leads the nation in providing the fastest average Internet speed, at 16,200 kbps;
• The District of Columbia leads the nation in tech jobs per capita;
• Massachusetts and California bring in the most venture capital investment dollars, more than $500 per capita, in the U.S; and
• Massachusetts, California, Washington, Connecticut and Delaware received higher R&D investment than other states.

Plans are for the Innovation Scorecard will be annually updated to reflect states’ evolving policies and any changes in measuring innovation.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, said “The future of growth and economic prosperity in this country is most vibrant in places where policies and political climates serve to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude that is part of our American DNA. Our hope is that states will use our Scorecard as a measurable guidepost to improve their policies supporting innovation.”

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), with more than 2,000 member companies, is the technology trade association representing the $286 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry.

Millennials Present New Challenges to Insurance Industry Seeking Customers

Just as recently appointed Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade settles in to her job, the insurance industry is facing new challenges from a new generation. A former Cigna executive, Commissioner Wade has more than 20 years of industry experience and oversees a regulatory agency with jurisdiction over one of the largest insurance industries in the United States.  Hartford has long been considered the nation’s Insurance Capitol, so changes in the industry reverberate across the Constitution State.

It seems insurance companies have their work cut out for them when it comes to engaging their millennial customers. Of all the generations, millennials (born in 1980 to 1996) are the least likely to be fully engaged -- and the most likely to be actively disengaged -- with their primary insurer, according to a recent Gallup survey.

Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. and will grow to dominate the market in the years to come, Gallup points out, adding that “insurance executives who neglect to take steps to engage this age group do so at their own peril.”

Insurance companies see substantial business gains when they engage customers of any generation, Gallup finds. Compared with their actively disengaged counterparts, engaged insurance customers are less sensitive about pricing when selecting and retaining a primary insurance carrier. They spend more and buy a wider variety of products, including financial offerings, from their insurer than do actively disengaged customers. They also stay with the company longer and are more likely to recommend it to others.

But building and maintaining customer engagement can be challenging -- especially for insurance companies with a diverse customer base. To raise millennials' engagement -- and thereby ensure a more engaged customer base in the future -- Gallup indicates that "leaders must understand how these young customers differ from others in their engagement and consumer behavior."  And they do differ, in substantial ways.

In its 2014 Insurance Panel study, Gallup uncovered insights into what drives millennials to start a relationship or stay in one with an insurance company. The analysis revealed many similarities across generations, but it also uncovered two important approaches to build relationships with millennials, and key factors that differ with past generations.

1. Family is key. Millennials are significantly more likely than other generations to have insurance coverage under a family member who chose the company. When their family members value an insurance company's brand, millennials follow suit. This finding contrasts sharply with older generations' prioritization of factors such as cost and company reputation.
2. Millennials are more likely to buy insurance online. Millennials are more than twice as likely (27% vs. 11%, respectively) as all other generations to purchase their policies online rather than through an agent. Online purchasing is far from the mainstream among insurance consumers overall -- 74% originally purchased with an agent vs. 14% online -- but if this trend among millennials continues to grow, it could substantially change the way insurance companies interact with customers in the coming years.

The bad news?  Millennials are least satisfied of any generation with the online experience, which could contribute to their generally low engagement overall with their primary insurer. Improving interactions with customers online is, therefore, a smart investment toward building strong relationships within this future mainstream customer base, Gallup points out.

As insurance companies consider ways to improve those relationships with millennial customers, Gallup suggests seven key areas worthy of attention:  information security, family incentives, specialized services,  ease of making changes to coverage online, ease of finding answers online, easy access to a range of online services, and overall ease of use in areas including account management, payment and website navigation.

Millennials’ distinctive attitudes also extend to car insurance and long-term care insurance, according to other recent surveys.

Cars are increasingly being rejected by many millennials in favor of public transit or other modes of transportation, including increasingly popular ride-for-hire services.  As a consequence, car insurance is taking a backseat among some, the website NerdWallet reported this month. According to a study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Americans are driving fewer total miles today than eight years ago, and driving fewer miles per person than we did in 1996.  It is a reversal after decades of steady growth.

Millennials are less likely to drive — or even have a driver’s license — than previous generations. From 1983 to 2008, the percentage of Americans age 20 to 24 with a driver’s license fell from about 90 percent of that age group to just over 80 percent, according to a University of Michigan study, the website noted.  If you don’t own a car, you don’t need car insurance.

In addition, Forbes recently reported that many of the nation’s millennials think their boomer parents are doing a lousy job planning for their long-term care needs, according to a survey from Genworth Financial, a leading seller of long-term care insurance policies.

The Aging Across Generations study, conducted with the J&K Solutions research firm, found that 27 percent of millennials would give their parents or loved ones a “failing grade” due to not planning for, or talking about, their long-term care needs.  And the kids say they’ll do better, with more than half (56 percent) of millennials surveyed expressing the view that they will plan for their long-term care needs more effectively than previous generations.

Time will tell.  Other impacts on the industry are likely to be more noticeable more quickly.

CT Ranked #3, Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford at #5, Among States, Regions with Most College Degrees

Connecticut has the nation’s third highest rate of residents holding a college degree – and the greater Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area has the fifth highest rate among metropolitan regions, according to a new report by the Lumina Foundation. The report reveals" real progress has been made" in the national effort to increase post-secondary attainment, but "current rates won’t be enough to meet America’s future economic and workforce demands." The annual report, A Stronger Nation through Higher Education, finds that “unless actions are taken now to significantly increase post-secondary attainment, the nation will fall short of workforce needs by the end of this decade.

Connecticut is making consistent progress on increasing attainment, according to the report. The most recent Census data (2013) show that 47.8 percent of the state’s 1.9 million working-age adults (those between the ages of 25 and 64) hold a two- or four-year college degree. This is an increase from last year’s rate of 47.5 percent and an increase from 46.6 percent in 2008. The state’s rate of higher education attainment is above the national rate of 40 percent.

A leading indicator of where higher education attainment rates are heading is the rate among young adults, those between the ages of 25 and 34. In 2013, this rate in Connecticut was 48.4 percent, higher than that of the adult population as a whole and also above the national rate of 41.6 percent.

According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 65 percent of U.S. jobs will require some form of postsecondary education by 2020. Yet, according the Lumina report, only 40 percent of working-age Americans (ages 25-64) held a two- or four-year college degree in 2013—the most recent year for which data are available. That figure is up from 2012, when the rate was 39.4 percent, and from 2008, when the rate was 37.9 percent, or a total of more than 2.8 million more degrees.

In Connecticut, 22.5 percent of residents ages 25-64 hold a bachelor’s degree, 17.1 percent have a graduate or professional degree, and 8 percent have an associate’s degree.  Eighteen percent have some college, but no degree, according to the data, provided by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey.

Degree attainment in Connecticut, by ethnicity, was at 53 percent of Whites, 28.4 percent of African-Americans, 22 percent of Hispanics, 71 percent of Asians and 29 percent of Native Americans, according to the 2013 data. The progress nationally reflects incremental gains that the report authors say aren’t nearly enough to reach Goal 2025—a national effort calling for 60 percent of Americans to have a high-quality post-secondary degree, certificate or other credential by the year 2025.

The percentage of Connecticut residents (ages 25 – 64) with a college degree, by county, are:  Fairfield (53.8%), Middlesex (51.2%), Tolland (50.6%), Hartford (45.9%), Litchfield (44.6%), New Haven (43.4%), New London (41.1%), and Windham 32.1%).

In college enrollment, Connecticut exceeded the national average among residents age 18-24, but was slightly below the national average among residents ages 25-53.  Connecticut was below the national average among Hispanics 4.9% vs. 5.2%); slightly above among African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Whites.

“Economists and other experts give us good reason to be convinced that reaching Goal 2025 is a national imperative,” said Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, and a former Connecticut resident. “We have just 10 years to reach it, and our current pace of progress is insufficient for meeting employers’ workforce needs and addressing the growing inequality issues we face as a nation.”  Merisotis, testifying at the Connecticut General Assembly back in 2009, told legislators that "you will need to invest more in educating underprepared students than you do now. But invest you must. The alternative is a Connecticut far less prosperous and far less prepared to deal with the rapidly changing world in which we live."

A Stronger Nation estimates that if current trends continue, 30.7 million more Americans will earn college credentials by 2025. That increase will allow the nation to reach an attainment rate of 48.7 percent over the next 10 years—well short of the 60 percent needed to reach Goal 2025. To reach the Goal, Lumina estimates that another 19.8 million postsecondary credentials will need to be added.

Top 10 states—based on the percentage of adults (25-64) with at least an associate degree in 2013:

1. Massachusetts —51.5% (up from 50.5%)
2. Minnesota —48.1% (up from 47.7%)
3. Connecticut —47.8% (up from 47.5%)
4. Colorado —47.6% (up from 47.5%)
5. New Jersey —46.5% (up from 45.8%)
6. New Hampshire —46.4% (down from 46.7%)
7. Virginia —46.1% (up from 45.3%)
8. New York —46% (up from 45.1%)
9. Maryland —46% (up from 45.5%)
10. North Dakota —45.8% (up from 45.6%)

Among the nation’s metropolitan areas, the leading regions were:

1. Washington, D.C./Arlington-Alexandria, Va.—55.36%
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.—55.32%
3. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.—54.73%
4. Madison, Wis.—54.67%
5. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.—54.41%
6. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.—53.79%
7. Raleigh, N.C.—53.57%
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.—51.80%
9. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.—49.82%
10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.—49%

Primary School Teacher is Connecticut’s Most Common Job; Secretary Was For Most of Past Three Decades

What was the most common occupation in Connecticut in 2014?  Primary School Teacher. That’s according to data analyzed by National Public Radio, using U.S. Census data.  NPR checked the most common occupation in each of the 50 states, every two years from 1978 and 2014.

One of the key findings?  Farmers have virtually dropped off the map.  In only two states – North Dakota and South Dakota – were “farm managers” the leading occupation in 2014.  That compares with 8 states in 1978.

Primary school teachers were the most prevalent job in 2 states – New Hampshire and Alaska – in 1996. In addition to Connecticut, the other states in which Primary School Teacher was the leading job in 2014 were Alaska, Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

In 2014, the most common job in 4 states was “computer software developers” – Colorado, Utah , Virginia and Washington State.  The leading occupation in Washington, D.C.? Lawyers.

NPR points out that “through much of the '80s, as the U.S. economy shifted away from factories that make goods and toward offices that provide services, secretary became the most common job in more and more states. But a second shift — the rise of the personal computer — reversed this trend, as machines did more and more secretarial work.”

Connecticut’s most common occupation through the years:

• Secretary             1978, 1982-1994, 2004, 2008, 2010
• Foreman              1980
• Bookkeepers     1998
• Truck drivers      1996, 2000
• Nursing Aide      2002
• School Teacher 2006
• Primary School Teacher 2012, 2014

The NPR report points out that “driving a truck has been immune to two of the biggest trends affecting U.S. jobs: globalization and automation.”  The prominence of truck drivers is partly due to the way the government categorizes jobs, the report points out. It lumps together all truck drivers and delivery people, creating a very large category.

Other jobs are split more finely; for example, primary school teachers and secondary school teachers are in separate categories, as evidenced by Connecticut’s most common jobs – school teachers in 2006, primary school teachers in 2012 and 2014.