Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | april 28, 2021
For employers, the pandemic often required experimentation and quick decision-making.
And many plan to keep in place several of the new approaches they adopted last year, according to a recent Strada-funded UpSkill America survey of 300-plus employers.
Close to half of survey respondents said the pandemic forced immediate changes in how they recruit, hire, and train, while more than one-third said the heightened attention to employment inequities for workers of color led them to change in the same areas.
Among employers’ takeaways from 2020:
Put people first. Listening to employees, not only about their personal needs during the pandemic but about their professional ideas, built employees’ confidence, improved teamwork and communication, and surfaced innovations from workers at all levels.
Recruit and hire quickly. Employers learned quickly in the pandemic how to be nimble. Walmart, for instance, switched to one application where workers can indicate interest in multiple jobs at one location.
Upskill and promote existing workers. Offering educational benefits and on-the-job upskilling, cross-training, and mentoring opportunities encourages continuous learning among loyal employees and places them on more lucrative career paths.
Take care of people you must lay off. If you must cut staff, consider an exit package that includes benefits extensions and funds for upskilling or reskilling for their next job.
Stop putting off innovation. Many employers said the pandemic mobilization was a confidence-builder, encouraging companies to innovate and learn by trying new ideas, failing fast, and improving.
A new suite of training and resources for career coaches will help connect job seekers to in-demand job opportunities. Developed with support from Strada, Ivy Tech Community College, and the state of Indiana, plus Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Microsoft Corp., the tools will help job seekers in Indiana and beyond. Skillful is dedicated to enabling all Americans – particularly those without a four-year college degree – to secure good jobs in a changing economy.
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN ANALYSIS
Whiteboard Advisors' analysis of President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan examines how the bill aims to address barriers that prevent many individuals from pursuing education and work opportunities. Among the provisions Whiteboard notes: $40 billion to help dislocated workers train for growth fields; $48 billion for programs that would increase apprenticeships and support community college partnerships that focus on training for skills employers need; and a $12 billion community college investment to address physical and technological infrastructure gaps.
REGISTER NOW FOR CONFERENCE
Registration is open for the CAEL Annual Conference, which brings together attendees with a common desire to improve the connections between education and career that drive adult learner success and equitable economic growth. The conference will take place Nov. 17-19 at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, and CAEL is designing a hybrid experience to accommodate both in-person and virtual participation.
IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS
The SyncUp Colorado Challenge launched this month with a $5 million prize pool, to be awarded to seed and scale breakthrough partnerships that accelerate education-to-employment solutions. Eligible partnerships should support young Coloradans in making informed choices and obtaining job-relevant skills to pursue quality careers. The initiative is a collaboration among several partners, including Strada, ZOMALAB, and the Colorado governor’s office.
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help Americans navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
