How Educational Institutions and Tech Businesses Are Developing Workforces of the Future

January 14, 2021 — A rising concern in the business world is the lack of emerging professionals with technology-based skills. According to expert panelists speaking at CTA’s 2021 Consumer Electronics Show, the growing need for an emerging workforce equipped with skills to handle the jobs of tomorrow is causing many to rethink the effectiveness of the existing school-to-work pipeline.

Currently, the top 10 most common open positions in the United States are directly or indirectly related to building and developing software. According to the panelists, companies are becoming increasingly concerned about how effectively students will migrate from school to the workforce.

During a CES 2021 panel, George Mason University President Gregory Washington said that educational institutions need to provide a clear pathway that offers students better education options for emerging jobs.

Washington said that it is not only important for students to have certain skills as they embark on ventures, but further that companies need awareness and expertise in order to execute concrete and action-oriented plans.

Upon Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of Northern Virginia Technology Council asking the panel how to continue increasing employment in the tech sector, and further, how to retain skilled employees, Jesse Haines, director of Grow at Google, answered.

Haines remarked that companies must assure their commitment to developing talent and invest in upscaling workforces in a systemic fashion. Haines added that companies should issue credentials and reward people to continually build skills, so productivity continues to aid their organization.

As technologies progress will not cease anytime soon,  growth and training must accompany its evolution.