E113: Changing the Playbook: Innovative Approaches for Skilling and Reskilling the U.S. Labor Force

Jason Tyszko, VP of the Center for Education and Workforce at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, joins the program to discuss the work of the Foundation, and the urgent need for skilling and reskilling the U.S. Labor Force. Jason reveals his thoughts about the need to reimagine what it looks like for the public sector to engage with the business community and discusses the Talent Finance initiative, which explores private sector-led solutions and innovations in finance to better invest in people.

Widely acclaimed workplace expert, speaker, strategist and innovator Mika Cross joins the program to discuss FlexJobs, a leader in the remote and flexible employment space for employers and job seekers. Discover what employers need to think about when onboarding remote workers, as well as how to attract a newer and wider segment of talent. Mika also reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted how employees think about work-life balance.

Gorick Ng, first-gen college student, Harvard grad, management consultant and author of The Unspoken Rules, joins the program to discuss the rules that employees aren’t taught in school, including how to navigate a new role, take ownership, manage expectations, or handle workplace politics.

Discover what top performers do and don’t realize, and how these “unspoken rules” get passed down over the dinner table, or from mentee to mentor, creating an unlevel playing field, with the insiders getting ahead and the outsiders stumbling along through trial and error. Discover wisdom
distilled from over 500 interviews with professionals across industries and job types about the biggest mistakes people make at work.

Martha Kanter, CEO of College Promise and former Under Secretary of Education, and Jane Oates, President of Working Nation, and former Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration, join the program to discuss the changes that they have seen regarding education and workforce. Martha and Jane share their thoughts about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning on education, and the efforts that are underway to make work-based learning readily available to students. Discover the changes that need to happen to make a college education more accessible for all students.

Clare Bertrand, Director at JFFLabs. joins the program to discuss the importance of career navigation technology in 2021 and beyond. Clare shares her thoughts about how career development technology fits into virtual service design, and what workforce boards should think about when investigating different tech tools. Discover where investments are being made and a gap in the market when it comes to serving underrepresented communities.

In this episode, you’ll learn about the 100 Questions Initiative, which seeks to map the world’s 100 most pressing high impact questions that could be answered if relevant data sets were leveraged in a responsible manner. Discover why the future of work is a critical focus for the 100 Questions Initiative, and how to create a common understanding of current and future workforce challenges.

Susan Gross Sholinsky, a labor and employment attorney at Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. and Vice Chair of the firm’s National Employment, Labor & Workforce Management Steering Committee, joins the program to discuss COVID-19 compliance requirements for employers. Discover resources to stay informed about changing laws and what employers need to think about when it comes to liability. You’ll also hear about whether employers can require a mandatory vaccine policy and the approach that the new administration may take when it comes to the regulatory landscape.

NOTE: The information presented in this episode is not intended and should not be taken as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. The content reflects the personal views and opinions of both Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. and NAWB.

Richard Lum, CEO of Vision Foresight Strategy, LLC, returns to the program to discuss why a global pandemic is something that could be anticipated, but not necessarily predicted, and what it takes to do quality foresight and strategy work. Discover the key building blocks to foresight work, the industries that are most likely to continue to be impacting by the pandemic, and why workforce boards are well positioned for the future