Month: May 2024

Teachers play an essential role in helping the next generation of learners develop STEM skills that will prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow, especially in this new AI era. They inspire innovators and cultivate the creative thinking that will solve the world’s biggest challenges.

Teachers face a variety of challenges every day, from creating appealing content to keeping up with AI and STEM tools, they need resources and support that are cost-effective and easy to implement. IBM SkillsBuild is empowering teachers with free resources, developed with teachers’ input year-round to enhance student learning. IBM SkillsBuild offers curriculum maps, lesson plans, student worksheets, and hands-on activities, which can be easily used to supplement existing curriculum with core technical and workplace skills, including AI.

Zach Switzer, a high school teacher at John Marshall School of IT (Cleveland, Ohio), emphasized the importance of teaching AI to students now. He said, “Giving students a chance to learn with AI, while also teaching students about the intricacies of AI is necessary in my opinion. We will need individuals who understand and can manipulate AI, and who better than the generation that grew up utilizing the tool? Giving our young people access while addressing how and why AI should be used will ensure the future is in capable hands.”

IBM SkillsBuild’s Teaching Artificial Intelligence Toolkit can help with this. With this toolkit teachers can simultaneously educate themselves and implement AI coursework within their classrooms, covering topics like why AI is important to students, the role of AI in education, generative AI, and AI career opportunities.  IBM SkillsBuild toolkits are available on various topics like teaching cybersecurity, sustainability, data, professional skills, and more.

“As a science teacher with no prior education in AI or cybersecurity, I was desperate to gain some understanding. With IBM SkillsBuild, I was so happy to finally have access to a curriculum with digestible information on these topics. Not only can I digest what my students are doing and learning, but I can further their knowledge or understanding with the content I learned from IBM SkillsBuild teacher toolkits and coursework. IBM SkillsBuild has granted me access to information surrounding soft skills, employment opportunities, and career readiness that I can easily share with my students,” Zach added.

Another teacher, Mark Vukovic at CTEC of Licking County (Newton, Ohio), discussed how IBM SkillsBuild has helped his students: “I’ve accumulated several certifications myself while learning about how these certifications would benefit my students. The benefit of these learning modules is that they help students walk away from a classroom with not just expert instruction, but a valuable certification that they can use to apply for a job. Teachers can easily incorporate these learning modules into their existing lessons or assign students to work on them out of the classroom.”

Whether you’re a teacher, a student, a parent, or a job seeker, IBM SkillsBuild provides over 1,000 free courses on technology and professional skills. Through IBM SkillsBuild, IBM continues to progress towards our commitment to skill 30 million people globally by 2030.

By Rodolfo Perez, Ph.D.

There’s been quite a bit of attention recently on PFAS–for good reason.

In the U.S., the EPA released final rules and standards for the control and monitoring of certain PFAS–otherwise known as forever chemicals–in drinking water. This news marks important early steps toward protecting human and environmental health from these man-made compounds.

So, what are PFAS and why do we seem to care about them more than ever? PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The PFAS class includes more than 15,000 compounds, all characterized by a backbone of carbon atoms linked to fluorine atoms, which give them the ability to withstand moisture, oils and chemical attacks, plus act as excellent electric insulators. Since their discovery in the 1930s their use has skyrocketed. One most people are familiar with is Teflon, or PTFE. Until recently, PFAS were added to firefighting foam and to pizza boxes(among other food wrappers,) and are still found in products such as clothing, food packaging, inks, paints and building products. It is common to find PFAS in coatings of many products, since they can protect against water or stains.

PFAS’ chemical stability, ability to move around the environment, and widespread use and large production (280,000 metric tons in the U.S. alone as of 2019 and 4.4 million metric tons estimated to enter the environment in the next 30 years) are why PFAS pose such an environmental concern. They are hard to destroy, so their chemical stability gives them the shorthand of “forever chemicals.”

Today, PFAS can be found pretty much everywhere, including remote Arctic and Antarctic regions. Production plants can emit PFAS, and because of their widespread use in household products, wastewater can have significant amounts of PFAS that can eventually make it to drinking water supplies, where concentrations in the parts per trillion level (nanograms per liter) may be deemed concerning. PFAS also bioaccumulate – that is, their concentration grows inside organisms (as demonstrated in fish and edible crops) upon continuous exposure – and also in humans.

For humans, studies indicate deleterious health effects such as changes in cholesterol, metabolism, liver problems and endocrine disruption. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently cataloged PFOA as “carcinogenic to humans.” Nearly all humans have PFAS in their bodies, and occupational exposure in their production process as well as in certain groups such as firefighters and ski waxers may run much higher. There is no “safe” level of PFAS consumption and what has been considered “tolerable” has been reassessed. For instance, in 2020 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a ‘tolerable intake’ of four of the most studied PFAS to 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per week, a 95% reduction from its prior recommendation. In terms of risk, the IARC has only cataloged the cancer potential of two PFAS. It doesn’t mean that the rest of the 30,000+ PFAS are not carcinogenic, it only means that our current process of toxicological assessments is very slow to act.

Governments are attempting to reduce the exposure to certain PFAS through drinking water rules and directives. The recent EPA rule limits six PFAS in drinking water, and the EU Drinking Water directive also sets a threshold limit to all PFAS. Technologies to remove certain PFAS from drinking water do exist, mainly based on carbon filtration, ionic exchange and reverse osmosis. If the municipal water may be subject to concerning levels of PFAS, it is likely that some action is being taken to meet new rules (as states may have already placed certain restrictions in advance of federal regulation). Those who use well water as their drinking supply source may find products that are certified to remove certain PFAS. In the U.S., the US Geological Survey (USGS) recently conducted a thorough survey of PFAS production facilities and sampling of certain PFAS in drinking water, which helps identify locations or water supplies where targeted help for removal may be needed.

While removal from water is possible, removed PFAS will still be in the filtered material and there’s little we can do to destroy these pollutants, as even the incineration of PFAS may end up producing smaller PFAS. At some point, we need to reconsider our widespread use of PFAS so at least we don’t make the problem bigger. The European Commission is taking a lead in the topic by proposing a ban on fluoropolymers (i.e., anything with fluorine attached to carbon) except for very specific “essential uses,” though this effort has opposition.

In the U.S., in addition to the recent drinking water thresholds, EPA, through the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1977, updated in 2016, is strengthening requirements and enforcement actions to reduce PFAS production and dispose of certain compounds. In addition, certain companies are posting public commitments to phase out certain (or all) PFAS from their products. In addition, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the phase-out of PFAS from grease-proof food packaging in fast food.

The issue PFAS raises is that we’re really good at making products geared toward performance, without considering production impacts and after-use life, including effects on health. This mindset has to change.

Circular economy principles, which elevate the human health experience by maintaining the value of manufactured products after multiple uses while reducing the environmental impact of their production and recycling, can help us reassess the true value of certain technologies, and can lead regulators and the community at large to think differently at the time of design and use, while also thinking through the afterlife of chemicals and products we use on a daily basis.

In a perfect world, safety considerations should come at the time of product design, not after years–or decades–of already being used. Hopefully, the ecological, social and health concerns and effects posed by PFAS demonstrate the need for shifting our paradigm of technological development toward one that puts people first.

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Often the first to feel the effects of inflation and economic volatility, small business owners are optimistic about their businesses, even as economic challenges remain. KeyBank’s 2024 Small Business Survey found that 65% of small business owners feel confident they could fund their operating expenses for one month with their cash reserves, if an unexpected need arose.

Still, 37% of business owners anticipate that inflation will slightly increase their operating costs and 27% expect a significant increase in operating costs in the next 12 months. The top challenges small business owners anticipate this year are fluctuating sales/revenue (35%), delayed payments from clients/customers (29%) and high overhead costs (28%).

Despite these concerns, small business owners are well-adjusted and taking precautionary measures to protect their businesses—and the employees and communities they serve. They are already implementing cost-cutting measures (32%), increasing cash reserves (30%) and exploring alternative financing options (22%). As one of the top indicators of financial resilience in the US, their actions could be the first signal of an improving economic environment.

“Small businesses are the cornerstone of our communities. They create jobs, fuel the local economy, and help contribute to the character of the neighborhoods we live and work in,” said Mike Walters, President of Business Banking at KeyBank. “By fostering a supportive environment for small businesses, we’re able to invest in and empower entrepreneurs, increase their confidence and help their business run better.”

Leaders Leverage Bank Relationships for Education and Resources

Banks are at a pivotal moment to help their small business clients navigate cash flow and business operation concerns—and small business owners are turning to them for advice. The top three pieces of advice owners have received are: cut costs by reducing discretionary spending (34%), establish an emergency fund (22%) and diversify revenue streams by introducing new products or services (20%).

While more than half (52%) of small business owners are confident that their banks understand their cash flow concerns, almost 20% are unsure if their banks do so – pointing to an opportunity for banks and business owners to expand their relationships.

KeyBank, a top SBA lender1, has provided more than $4.5 billion in small business loans and lines of credit. Most recently, KeyBank received their 11th consecutive “Outstanding” rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on its most recent Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) exam. KeyBank’s recent exam period covered January 1, 2019- December 31, 2021. A significant investment to support low-to-moderate income communities included the banks quick response to support both clients and communities through the pandemic. In 2020 and 201, KeyBank processed 69,000 loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), providing more than $11.2 billion in critical funding to small and mid-size businesses.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online by Survey Monkey. 1,983 respondents, ages 18-99, located in the United States, who own or operate a small-to-medium size business with an annual gross revenue of less than $10 million, completed the survey in March 2024.

Learn more about KeyBank’s opportunities and programs for your small business by visiting key.com/small-business. KeyBank offers a range of tools, including the KeyBank Small Business Check-In, KeyBank Small Business Financial Review and the Business Cash Flow Calculator.

CFMA #240503-2585079

This material is presented for informational purposes only and should not be construed as individual tax or financial advice. KeyBank does not provide legal advice. All credit products and SBA Loans are subject to approval, terms, conditions, and availability and subject to change. Key.com is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp. ©2024 KeyCorp

1Source: Statistics released by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) October 2023 for total approved loans through the SBA’s 7(a) lending program during the federal fiscal year ending 10/2023.