Dear readers,
Happy almost Thanksgiving. Just a reminder that you’re reading Learning @ Work– the newsletter that helps you stay up to date on what’s happening at the intersection of education and work.
This month I’m excited to hand over my editorial post to Natalie McCullough, the newest member of Guild’s leadership team. Natalie recently joined Guild as President and Chief Commercial Officer, bringing 20 years of leadership experience at fast-growing technology companies. I’ll let her take it from here.
– Michael B. Horn
Sr. Strategist at Guild Education
The future of work is already here– it’s just not evenly distributed
We often discuss the future of work as a far off moment, something for which we have ample time to prepare. But what if it’s much closer than we think?
Gartner predicts that in less than two years 90% of large organizations will have adopted some form of automation technology. If the future of work is already happening, now is the time to help workers and their employers prepare.
The reality is that America is not only unprepared, but behind. To thrive in the economy of the future, workers need next-generation skills. This requires continuous education emphasizing both durable abilities — like critical thinking — and technical skills like data analytics and software development.
Top-notch learning institutions can deliver the type of education and training required — but their programs are often inaccessible to all but a small percentage of America’s workers. This system must change. We must adapt, or we risk leaving millions behind and building a workforce where only the privileged have access to the training needed to keep up. This would be a disaster for workers, employers, and our nation as a whole.
The country’s leading employers are central here: Both in the way they recognize the seismic changes underway and in the ways they prepare their workforces for what is ahead. Waiting for the government to act won’t work. Employers need to move first — taking care of their workers and their objectives.
I joined Guild because I believe the best way to meet this challenge is to bring the most important stakeholders together. By aligning employers, learning institutions, and employees I believe we can help America’s workers obtain the skills and credentials they need to succeed in the economy of the future.
– Natalie McCullough
President and Chief Commercial Officer at Guild
|