Millennials to Generation Z Preparing for our Incoming Students Dawna Mackay – Baby Boomer and Registrar, BCIT Canadian Ellucian Users Conference, October 2017

How Do We Define Generations? Traditionalists Baby Boomers Gen X Gen Y - Millennials Gen Z Birth Years 1928-1945 1946-1964 1965-1979 1980-1995 1996-?? Current Ages 72+ 53-71 38-52 22-37 21 and under

Intergenerational Relationships

Parenting Styles Boomers vs. Gen X

Parents - Boomers vs Gen X Boomer Parenting Style -parents of Millennials Gen X Parenting Style -parents of Gen Z Protect through involvement Protect through surveillance What’s best for the group of children What’s best for MY child Optimism and enthusiasm for Institutions Cynicism and questioning of Institutions Aspirations – you can do anything! Realistic – do what your are good at Everyone wins Only the best win

Millennial Characteristics Howe and Strauss (1997) identified 7 core traits the Millennial generation possess: Special Sheltered Confident Achieving Team Oriented Pressured Conventional

Millennial Stereotypes Narcissistic Celebrity obsessed Stunted development Selfishness exacerbated by technology FOMO and YOLO Love their phones, but hate talking on them

Millennial Video

Gen Z Characteristics Born in 1996 (ish) Started entering BCIT in the fall of 2014 30% of incoming students in Fall 2015 Most diverse and educated generation Short attention span Environmentally aware and concerned Communal Value authenticity and a social cause

Gen Z – Who are they? Able to be want they want to be Diverse culture is the norm Options are there to discover Collaboration is great – but let us decide who and how They are going to predict OUR future

Gen Z Stereotypes Generation lay-”Z” Technology centered - sedentary lifestyle Impatient Media obsessed Time will tell………

Gen Z Future Professionals 65 percent of grade school students will work in jobs that don’t exist today 80% wonder if they will have a job when they graduate. Want a boss that has their back They will be a different kind of professional, not a 40-hour week cube worker, but freelance contractors who solve problems with a particular expertise They are wary of long-term plans. They are not planning on 30 year careers at one place.

Gen Z – The Learner They are not “digital citizens” Competency based They very much dislike lecture-test classroom Gen Z’s are constant multi-taskers Like to have random access to information, love to explore using their own routes, need graphics, want it fun, and instant feedback

Comparing Generations Millennials Gen Z Optimists Realists Content consumers Content creators Communicate with text Communicate with images Entitled Persistent Conventional Entrepreneurial

So, How Do We Engage Them? Use the student voice to narrate and promote By students, for students Content must be: Short and to the point Inspiring Informational Amusing Useful Critical

How Do We Effectively Reach Them?? All information must be online Get rid of the paper! Messages must be authentic Social media Video, pictures, emoji's Listen to the student voice!!

In Person Is Still Important Create space for face to face meetings Bring in peers to mentor Welcome their parents – new thinking Pop-up info stations Travelling goodie carts staffed by Wellness staff