121: Meeting Unprecedented Challenges: Ron Painter on the Importance of Workforce Boards

This episode was originally recorded on the WorkforceRx Podcast by Futuro Health, a podcast where Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan interviews future-focused leaders in education, workforce and healthcare to explore new innovations and approaches. Ron Painter joins the program to discuss the vital role that workforce boards play in advancing economic opportunity, and the importance of bringing together key stakeholders including housing, transportation and community-based organizations. Ron reveals how communities are leveraging their networks and why he is optimistic about the unprecedented challenges facing employers and workers.

Kevin Kelly, Director of AWS Education Programs at Amazon Web Services, joins the program to discuss the importance of cloud computing for the future of work and the work that AWS Education Programs does to help prepare diverse learners to pursue in-demand cloud roles. Kevin reveals details about a recent global digital skills study and the growing need for technical knowledge due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode features an interview with Eshwar Eswaran, Director, JFFLabs LEAD (Leading Economic Advancement through Data). Eshwar discusses the work that JFF is doing to find new and innovative ways to lead workforce and education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all, through data and data-driven solutions. He also reveals how timely, accurate and reliable data can help workforce boards increase their impact and responsiveness.

Dr. Paul Harrington, Professor, and Director of the Center for Labor Markets and Policy at Drexel University, returns to the program to discuss the current state of the labor market. Dr. Harrington shares insights about the impact of the Great Resignation, youth participation in the labor market, as well as his thoughts about immigration and education.

Kamal Ahluwalia, president of Eightfold.ai, joins the program to provide an overview of his organization, share his thoughts about the Great Resignation, as well as his work with veterans and the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Discover the promise of AI and the importance of creating a succession plan for every individual in an organization. Kamal also discusses what organizations need to think about when working with transitioning veterans.

Andi Phillips, Founder and Managing Partner, the Community Outcomes Fund at Maycomb Capital, joins the program to discuss her thoughts about how workforce boards and local governments can make the most of record stimulus dollars. Discover how to access flexible funding and how to use outcome-based contracts to align spending with the mandated reporting requirements from Treasury.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joins the program to share his thoughts about the importance of investing in skill development for the U.S. labor force. Congressman Krishnamoorthi reveals how being a small business owner has shaped his thoughts about workforce and talent development and the challenges that the U.S. is facing when it comes to skilling and reskilling the workforce. He also reveals the role that immigration needs to play in the U.S. labor market.

Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda, joins the program to discuss the important role that his company has played during the pandemic, and how online learning can help increase the accessibility of education and decrease inequality. Discover some of the biggest learning and education trends that have occurred over the past year and the changing nature of work. Jeff also shares his thoughts on the Coursera Skills Report, which explores skill trends worldwide, helping leaders in higher education, business and government learn which skills are essential for the future of work.