The Great Recession and tentative recovery have brought into sharp focus the complexity of preparing workers for employment opportunities in the 21st century. The sheer volume of unemployed and underemployed workers seeking the next good employment opportunity presents challenges to public policies and institutions ranging from the Workforce Investment Act to community colleges. Which sectors will grow? What skills will be necessary? How can we deliver instruction in ways that make sense for workers’ live? How can we use multiple funding streams to utmost effect in tough fiscal times? These are all key questions that must be answered if we are to help workers acquire the skills that will promote both national competitiveness and broader prosperity.
To respond to these and other questions, the Center for American Progress, in collaboration with the Rutgers University School of Management, is sponsoring a discussion of the policy and politics of workforce development systems today and into the future.
We will have a panel discussion of the findings of academic research on workforce development programs published in the most recent annual research volume of the Labor and Employment Relations Association titled, "Transforming the U.S. Workforce Development System: Lessons from Research and Practice."
Opening remarks:
John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for American Progress
Overview of labor supply and demand:
Anthony Carnevale, Research Professor; Director, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University
Panel I: Building a 21st Century Workforce Development
Susan J. Schurman, Dean, Rutgers University College Community
David Finegold, Dean, Rutgers School of Management
Mary Gatta, Senior Scholar, Wider Opportunities for Women
Panel II: Advancing a Workforce Development Agenda
Andy Van Kleunan, Executive Director, National Skills Coalition
Ray Uhalde, Vice President, Jobs for the Future
Moderated by:
Louis Soares, Director, Postsecondary Education Program, Center for American Progress