Over the past few years, our team has spent a great deal of time partnering with clients on workforce development projects. Through this work, we’ve developed a passion for the topic and are inspired to better understand how it will impact our collective economic future.
We are committed to nurturing and retaining a strong knowledge base on workforce development, so our team regularly explores and shares relevant articles, reports and podcasts on the issue. Here are three resources we are currently reading/watching:
- “The recent rebound in prime-age labor force participation,” The Brookings Institute: We hear so much about the unemployment rate – why don’t we hear more about the labor force participation rate? This article from The Brookings Institute provides background on labor force participation and offers insights on the barriers (e.g. disabilities, child care, etc.) that prevent people from entering or re-entering the labor force.
- “Future Workforce: The Hybrid Employee,” Georgia Tech: The workplace is changing, and so are the skills needed to be successful in it. Employers now need employees who bring hybrid skillsets (a combination of IT and management, for instance), so we need to think through how we develop a pipeline of workers who can meet those needs. This will eventually spark a bigger discussion around hybridizing job descriptions.
- “The Age of Automation: Policies for a Changing Economy,” Aspen Institute: Some people are excited about automation, others believe it may be the end of the workforce as we know it. The Aspen Institute assembled multiple experts to discuss how we can refocus our workforce development efforts based on what we know about the potential benefits and challenges of automation (especially in advanced manufacturing).
As we continue connecting with clients across myriad industries who are committed to developing a high-quality workforce, we will keep a close pulse on the evolving issues affecting workforce development to ensure we are asking the right questions, exploring the right issues, and have the right partners around the table.