Darrell Huntley

Training the 21st Century Workforce: Strong Skills for Great Jobs

Jody Miller, Darrell Huntley, Maria Clave, Perry Wong, Gray Davis, Joseph Castro

Amidst a critical retention crisis where half of Boeing's workforce is nearing retirement, industry leaders and policymakers are rallying to address severe shortages in engineering and computer science talent. The event highlights a multi-pronged strategy combining educational reform at the K-12 level, public-private funding partnerships like those established by Fresno State, and visa reforms to retain foreign experts. Experts argue that closing this skills gap through targeted curriculum changes and diverse recruitment is essential to maintaining California's economic dominance and preventing the displacement of high-value jobs to other nations.