Conference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat
Shaping the Workforce of the Future: Academia and Employer Partnerships
- The biannual State Technology and Science Index is scheduled for release in a few weeks, with California projected to potentially rank number one on the risk capital and entrepreneurial infrastructure index in the next edition.
- The state currently possesses a human capital pipeline capable of adapting to future jobs, though existing training levels are insufficient, leading to a gap where high-skilled positions are filled by workers recruited from outside California while non-graduate educational groups continue to relocate.
- Future economic growth is contingent on addressing housing and transportation costs to prevent the exodus of skilled labor, necessitating adaptation through lifelong training and private sector-educator partnerships.
- The California Community College District has launched a fully online, competency-based institution for adult learners to link skills directly to available jobs, addressing a timeline gap where current student preparation periods exceed the "couple of years" required for incoming job roles.
- Cal Poly Pomona is initiating a "future of work in human and civic engagement" program focused on competencies, driven by the projection that the average graduate will experience 12 to 15 job changes before retirement.
- Institutional strategies include maintaining engagement with students for one year post-graduation, evolving private sector roles from passive consumers to partners over the coming decades, and creating clear pathways to reduce debt accumulation and opportunity closure for young people.
- The labor market is expected to utilize big data and artificial intelligence to correct signaling problems caused by inflated job descriptions, while requiring the up-skilling of existing bachelor's degree holders through educational continuums rather than single degrees.
- Talent acquisition criteria are projected to shift away from reliance on degrees from top-tier universities, accompanied by a necessity for students to develop a mindset of resiliency due to the rapid pace of work disruption.
- Social capital distribution is identified as a future obligation to equalize opportunity exposure across the country, with LinkedIn initiating efforts to expand networks beyond self-referential circles to facilitate this redistribution.