Nicholas Wyman

Education and Skills

United States

Job Skills & Training in the 21st-Century Workplace #Horticulture #Sustainability Experts in school to work transition. Pre employment programs to help young people reach their full potential.

Portfolio
Forbes
Beyond 'Best Practices': Inclusive Recruitment For Disabilities

Casting the net wider for a more diverse workforce makes sense as people with disabilities could represent an untapped demographic to fill your skills shortage. As of February, about four in 10 people with a disability are in the US workforce, compared to almost double that figure for people without a disability.

Forbes
What Would Henry Ford Have Thought About Unlimited Paid Time Off ?

US organizations are being creative to attract and retain talented staff. The latest measure is unlimited paid time off - UPTO - also known as 'open leave,' says the Society of Human Resource Management. The idea of UPTO is to offer staff as much leave as they need for illness, personal reasons, or holidays, such as what Goldman Sachs has for their workers.

Forbes
Driving Diversity And Inclusion Through Innovative Partnerships

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the labor force have never been more important. It's way past time to make sure all members of society are represented at all levels in the workplace. And from an employer perspective, making DE&I a top priority means tapping into a previously overlooked workforce.

Fastcompany
Including people with disabilities in the workplace.

hirty-two years of ADA is a remarkable achievement. It remains a landmark law for people with disabilities, setting out a pathway to full societal inclusion as an absolute right. But we can do more.

TLNT
How to recruit people with disabilities - TLNT

For far too long, it seems, conversations around hiring people with disabilities has been put in the 'too difficult' basket. And yes, that's even amongst companies who continually moan that they are struggling to fill job vacancies. If you don't believe me, the statistics to support this largely speak for themselves.

Motor.com
Get on Board with Virtual Reality for Training

Virtual reality training isn’t just for Career and Technical Education—it’s also useful on the job. The automotive industry is already using VR to train current employees

Forbes
What Alabama Can Teach Us About The Future Of VR Training

It's not just Facebook's headline-grabbing transformation into Meta that has sharpened our focus on virtual reality and its natural evolution to the Metaverse. By 2024, the value of the VR market is expected to hit $12.19 billion internationally, says Statista. There are now more than 171 million VR users around the globe.

Forbes
How To Give A Chance To This Under-Represented Group Of Your Would-Be Workers

Across the country, job vacancies are outnumbering available workers by almost five million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Where and how will we find those workers? The so-called Great Resignation has seen swathes of people switch jobs leading to solid wage growth, and it's also created many entry-level positions across a range of sectors.

The Staffing Stream
2022 Workplace Trend Predictions

Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to recruits - get to know what each person brings to the table by joining your organization. The spotlight is on the Great Resignation and the job hoppers and career-changers moving jobs throughout North America. But there's a lot more on the staffing agenda for 2022.

Iwsiamerica
Ready, Willing & Able Report

New Report: Why it pays to hire people with disabilities. Americans with a disability are the largest underemployed and underrepresented group in the country. 1 in 4 adult Americans – 61 million people – live with a disability, and experience unemployment rates nearly double the general population.

Forbes
How To Run Your Zoom Meetings Even Better

Are you using Zoom meetings with your staff as a crutch to engage your team? We all need a refresh, maybe even a reset, to beat Zoom fatigue as we continue working remotely. Perhaps it's time to shake things up. Your business may be among one of almost half a million Zoom business customers across the globe.

Industry Today
Healing Invisible Injuries in the Construction Industry

Construction workers are far too often overlooked when it comes to mental health outreach and initiatives. This needs to change. By Nicholas Wyman, CEO IWSI America We think we know a lot about construction workers. The stereotype typically is that they're strong, no-nonsense people who enjoy physical work.

HR Daily Advisor
The Global Currency of Digital Passports in the Workforce - HR Daily Advisor

An issue I've returned to again and again is the skills shortage. According to ManpowerGroup, 69% of U.S. employers are struggling to fill vacancies, particularly in skilled trades, IT, sales, and marketing. At the same time, we've seen workers in low-skill jobs displaced at distressingly high rates in the recent wave of COVID layoffs.

Forbes
Digital Passports Can Propel Young People Into Skilled Jobs

Skills - digital and non-digital - are what drive the economy. Employers need skilled workers, and skilled workers command jobs with higher pay and benefits. Highest in demand are digital skills, which are increasingly needed in every employment sector, including traditional manufacturing.

HR Morning
Apprenticeships: A talent pipeline for companies of all sizes

Apprenticeships are are hot topic at the White House. A lot is in the works for these types of programs. So, if you don’t want to miss the boat, here’s how to steer your company’s first apprenticeship program to take advantage of federal support – and you won’t need to go it alone.

Grit Daily News
How to Land Your Dream Job

Conventional wisdom is that the sure-fire way to land your dream job is by earning a four-year college degree. But the reality is that many of the rewarding and well-paying jobs today do not require a university degree at all. I'm talking about jobs in technology, healthcare, communications, infrastructure, pharma, customer service, even fintech and government services.

Autobeatonline
Modern Apprenticeships for Automotive Technicians

A good pipeline of highly skilled labor is essential to the auto industry. Automotive service technicians are an example of personnel who are in short supply. While we'll use them as an example, the apprenticeship model is applicable to a wide variety of jobs within the industry.

TLNT
Apprenticeships That Bridge Skills Gaps

Jobs without people. People without jobs. Employers know about the mismatch between the skills they need and the skills workers have. To address such gaps and prepare individuals to meet sophisticated talent needs, more organizations are implementing apprenticeships.

Forbes
A Window Into The Future Of Work

Upwork, the globe's largest remote talent platform, posts three million jobs and transacts $1 billion of work each year. It recently released Freelance Forward 2020: The U.S. Independent Workforce Report , based on insights from 6,000 U.S. workers about the impact of COVID-19.

Recruiter
Create an Apprenticeship Program for Your Company From Scratch With These 9 Steps

Jobs without people. People without jobs. There's a mismatch between the skills people have and the skills companies need. Back in February of this year, ManpowerGroup reported US talent shortages were at a 10-year high, with more than two-thirds of employers struggling to fill positions. That situation is unlikely to have eased during the pandemic.

In Business
Learning Pods - The Future of The Workforce

Learning pods help build each person’s capability to know how to learn, use creativity to apply their skills in novel and familiar situations, believe they’ve got the skills to tackle future challenges, and work well with others.

COVID-19 The Global Health & Economic Crisis

Institute For Workplace Skills and Innovation
Apprenticeships for Growth

The COVID‐19 crisis has created unprecedented economic upheaval. Millions of Australians are now unemployed or leaving the workforce, entire sectors of the economy have been shuttered and our leaders are warning us to prepare for an extended period of economic uncertainty.

Greater Phoenix In Business Magazine
Learning Pods: The Future of the Workforce

Mention heutagogy, and there will be blank stares. It's an approach that celebrates self-directed lifelong learning skills and is a good fit for workplaces. The term was coined some two decades ago. It's not necessarily a solo activity, either.

business.com
How to Build Your Workforce After COVID-19 - business.com

It's a bumpy road to a post-COVID-19 recovery. Countries that have declared themselves free from the coronavirus are trying to snap their economies back into action and fend off the dreaded second wave. They offer some insight into what lies ahead for the U.S.

CNBC
Time will tell if this $2 trillion injection, known as the CARES Act, will deliver

The unprecedented 3.2 million jump in unemployment insurance claims is just one indication of the near total clampdown of the U.S. economy. Congress has responded by passing the largest stimulus package in U.S. history. The bill expands unemployment benefits to cover more workers, including self-employed and independent contractors, like gig workers, who do not usually qualify for unemployment.

Spectrumnews1
Youth Workforce Development Could Help Kentucky Recover from COVID-19

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in May 2020, youth unemployment dramatically spiked to more than 25 percent due to COVID-19. What You Need To Know Youth unemployment spiked to over 25 percent due to pandemic Expert says youth should consider work in an industry they're interested in vs.

Training Industry
Why Remote Learning Could Help America Succeed in a Post-crisis World

Much of America's production has halted, unemployment queues are growing and many businesses are terminal. Thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, our country is hemorrhaging on many fronts, from output to revenue and wages. It's a new world order. Unemployment insurance and business loans are necessary, but in the bigger picture, they're palliative care.

BenefitsPRO
COVID-19 and the workforce: Employers must take a long-range view | BenefitsPRO

Can you ever be "all caught up" with the alarming increase in confirmed coronavirus cases across the United States and the globe? That's as difficult as predicting the future. But even without a crystal ball, we can clearly see that this crisis will significantly and perhaps permanently change the way we work and how.

TheStreet
How To Approach Being Laid Off

"We are now in a coronavirus induced recession which means layoffs will surge around on the U.S.," said Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor with Stanford University. "But, I think there are two positive points to bear in mind." "First, unlike previous recessions, say 2008-2009, this is likely to be far shorter...

Thediplomat
Nicholas Wyman on How COVID-19 Will Affect Asia and the Global Economy

Advertisement The world economy has taken a massive hit as countries take measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. From Asia to Europe to the United States, private business are closing down as citizens shelter in their homes to prevent community transmission of the highly contagious, poorly understood disease.

Vault
The Economic Impact of COVID-19

As of this afternoon, both Congress and the White House continue to explore options for an economic stimulus package that will provide relief to American corporations and individuals impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Vault
The Economic Impact of COVID-19

In the early hours of Wednesday, March 25, Congress and the White House struck an agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus package to provide economic relief for individuals and corporations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the largest stimulus deal in our nation's history.

Forbes
Why We Need To Keep Workers On The Economic Stimulus Radar

COVID-19 is here, and it's going to thump American workers. Last week's market meltdown reflects uncertainty and panic among investors, but workers have even more reason to be worried about their health, incomes and long-term employment. We've known since the Great Depression that significant government intervention during an economic crisis can stop a disastrous downward spiral.

TechRepublic
Employers need to maintain workforces to prepare for after the COVID-19 slowdown

Report: Reskilling through modern apprenticeships remains important, despite the coronavirus, and companies could be making a costly mistake if they don't prepare for when the economy returns to normal. Globalization, economic reforms, and technological change are transforming the workplace and the types of jobs that will be offered in the future.

SHRM
Battling Presenteeism

​For some employees, it's a point of pride to never call out sick. No matter how much they're wheezing and coughing, they soldier on, their perfect attendance record intact-and, if their employer doesn't offer sick pay, their paychecks intact, as well. Bu

Workforce, Skills & Education

Medium
5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve The US Educational System

Doors seemed to close for me in high school because I wasn't academic. In fact, my school discouraged me from completing my final year because they were worried their overall grades would take a slump. Yes, because of me. I had a problem with sitting still and memorizing, but really got into hands-on work.

Newsmax
Ready for a Career Change Try Apprenticeship

There’s a model for success in life, right? You graduate from high school, go to college, get your degree, and find a great job using your newly acquired knowledge and skills. Cue happily ever after.

Forbes *Over 1 Million Views*
Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools

Instructor helps a student participating in a woodworking manufacturing training program in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Photographer: Tim Boyle/Bloomberg Charlie Negron Throughout most of U.S. history, American high school students were routinely taught vocational and job-ready skills along with the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. Indeed readers of a certain age are [...]

Newsmax
Time to Work: Why US Is Ready to Expand Modern Apprenticeships

Something's happening in the U.S. economy right now. And it's mostly good - business expansion, low unemployment, tightening labor markets, rising stock market prices and record profit shares. But underneath all the good news is a fundamental workforce problem. Companies want to grow - they have the means and the market to grow - but they can't find skilled workers.

Forbes
The Age Of Automation Is Here: How To Navigate The New World Of Work

If there's anything workforce experts agree on, it's that the number of jobs that can be done more effectively by robots than humans is growing at an exponential rate. Exponential. It's hard to fathom the meaning of that. We're in new territory - the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And it's happening right now.

Forbes
Even Tech Needs A Helping Hand In Classrooms

The shiny new toy always catches the eye. In schools, technology and STEM equipment can be a bit like that. A school might do a lot of sweating to fundraise or secure a grant to invest in tech to skill up their students for the 21st century.

Forbes
A Healthcare Company Finds the Right Medicine

Rhode Island-based CVS Health (CVSH) is a major U.S. employer, with nearly 300,000 people on its payroll.It is also the first American employer to have initiated a registered apprenticeship program for pharmacy technicians. Since 2005 over 8,000 individuals have signed on to that earn-while-you-learn program, making CVSH one of the most experienced U.S.

Forbes
The Skills Shortage Dilemma: Buy Or Build?

The past few years have been good ones for the U.S. economy, with year-over-year expansion, record low unemployment, healthy profits and stock market prices exceeding expectations. But all this good news masks a nagging concern for employers: a shortage of skilled labor, particularly "middle-skilled," the type generally developed through two or more years of post-high school education or on-the-job training.

Forbes
Closing The Skills Gap With Apprenticeship: Costs v. Benefits

In my previous post I talked about the "buy or build" choice for closing the skills gap. Do you compete in a tight labor market (buy); or train new workers yourself (build)? In this post I review the costs and benefits of the latter option - building a skilled workforce with an apprenticeship program.

Forbes
Apprenticeships: Going Medieval On The Job Skills Gap

Apprentices are essential employees who are paid while they learn, both in the workplace and in more traditional educational environments. There are advantages of learning first-hand from an experienced tradesperson. An apprentice acquires mastery of an occupation, inside and out.

Forbes
How Jobs Are Being Created In A Rising New Industry

Something remarkable happened in December 2016: the cost of installing and generating new solar electric power dropped to just $1.65/W. That's below new generation from fossil fuel plants and a smidgen less than wind-generated electricity. That milestone meant the cost of solar electricity shrunk an incredible 70% over a decade.

Forbes
Fear Not The Job-Stealing Robots

Let's face it. You're probably like most people. You've heard about workplace automation probably taking your job. But it won't happen to you or maybe anyone you know, right? Much hot air is spent on the topic of workplace automation and its consequences for workers. Opinions are divided.

Securitymagazine
Could Cybersecurity Apprentices Fix the Nation’s Talent Shortage?

Almost weekly, we hear of encroachments into big data systems in government, the military, finance, health, hospitality and retail – to name just some of the affected industry sectors. As awareness of our vulnerability has increased, demand for cybersecurity specialists has risen dramatically.

Forbes
Google's Tech Roadshow Hits The Skills Gap Spot

Late last month, I elbowed my way in to a free ' Grow with Google ' (GwG) expo in Louisville, Kentucky. Along with 700 other attendees, I spent the day taking part in free workshops, watching demos and experiencing one-on-one coaching. What was it all about? In short, the skills gap.

Forbes
How Jobs Are Being Created In A Rising New Industry

Something remarkable happened in December 2016: the cost of installing and generating new solar electric power dropped to just $1.65/W. That's below new generation from fossil fuel plants and a smidgen less than wind-generated electricity. That milestone meant the cost of solar electricity shrunk an incredible 70% over a decade.

Forbes
How To Boost Your Online Job Profile With Terms Employers Want

Software engineer, buyer planner, editor, developer and graphic artist are the categories employers are increasingly searching for, according to recent research from the world's largest job site, Indeed. You probably didn't think these three - buyer planners, editors or graphic artists - were in-high-demand parts of the skills gaps that employers are scratching to fill, perhaps.

Forbes
Don't Be So Quick To Dismiss Service Jobs

Where are the jobs? Today, most are in the service sector. And that's the forecast for tomorrow, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, service jobs will continue to outpace employment in all other sectors for the next quarter century. Let's put some figures around that.

Forbes
Good Jobs, Even In A World Of Automation

We are experiencing what some call a "tsunami of technological change," the effects of which may be as disruptive for us as the industrial revolution was for people in the 19th century. Here's the lowdown on the future of work. Automation, big data, robotics and artificial intelligence are coming on fast and profoundly changing the way we live.

Forbes
How Vocational Learning Will Create American Jobs

The State of the Union address reconfirmed to the nation why vocational learing pathways are necessary for a productive and competitive economy. The President said in his address "as tax cuts create new jobs, let us invest in workforce development and job training.

Forbes
America's Workforce Is Paying A Huge Price For The Opioid Epidemic

America's opioid and heroin crisis was declared a national public health emergency last month. The epidemic claimed 64,000 lives last year - more than car accidents or guns. Opiate-related overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50.

Bloomberg.com
Apprenticeships Could Narrow the U.S. Skills Gap

In mid-March, during one of those CEO meetings that President Donald Trump used to hold before they were disbanded, Marc Benioff, the chief executive of Salesforce.com, was asked to make some brief remarks. One of Benioff's passions is apprenticeships; he believes that if the U.S.

Forbes
Jobs Now! Learning From The Swiss Apprenticeship Model

American employers have complained for years about a shortage of skilled workers-not only in the traditional trades (mechanics, welders, electricians, machinists, etc.), but in tech, healthcare, manufacturing, and service sectors. The current administration aims to close that "skills gap" by dramatically increasing the number of company-sponsored apprenticeships.

Fortune
This New Trump Plan Could Be the Answer to Millennial Job Woes

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to substantially increase the number of U.S. apprenticeships from the current 500,000 (minuscule for the size of the economy) by doubling the amount the government spends on apprenticeship programs. Trump's emphasis on this plan is cause for optimism that he will significantly improve the number and quality of apprenticeships in the economy.

Quartz
Apprenticeships can be the key to Trump's promise to create millions of new American jobs

At the recent White House roundtable discussion on vocational education attended by president Trump and German chancellor Angela Merkel, Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, called on the President to "take a moonshot goal to create 5 million apprenticeships in the next five years." Given the president campaigned on a promise to deliver 25...

CNBC
Time to skill up, America!

With the U.S. economy and job market feeling the forces of globalization and the ever-increasing pace of technological change, the key to the nation's economic success in the years to come will be a skilled, well educated and productive workforce.

Forbes.com

Forbes
The School-To-Work Transition Is Broken: Here's Who's Fixing It

The U.S. unemployment rate in November 2015 was 5.0%, down from a high of 10% in October 2009. Among young people, however, unemployment is significantly higher: just under 16% for 18-19 year olds. At the same time, a number of industry sectors are adding jobs, including professional and business services, health care, [...]

Forbes
What Is The One Thing That Can Strengthen America's Economic Armor?

In May 2015, automaker Volvo finalized a deal that will move most of its North American production to South Carolina, where its new plant should be operational in 2018, employing 2,000 people and rolling out some 100,000 new vehicles each year. Skilled workers assemble engines at Volvo in Sweden.

Forbes
A Career Pathway To Educational And Employment Success

New and emerging technologies are redefining the nature of work and job skills at a pace that demands, likewise, a transformation in education. Sixty-five percent of children starting school today will need skills for jobs that don't even exist yet according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Forbes
Building The Case For Skill-Based Education

Although it has been several years since the global financial meltdown of 2008 - which saw stock markets throughout the world crash and hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs - unemployment in the United States remains persistently high. A carpenter carries lumber inside a house under construction in Peoria, [...]

Forbes
America's Got Talent - Trump's Spotlight On Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are getting a lot of press in the past few days as something of a cure-all for America's economic woes. Skills shortages are stifling our economy, particularly in global export and advanced high-value manufacturing markets. In fact, across the U.S., industries are begging for talented workers as six million vacancies remain unfilled.

Forbes
Why 5 Million Apprenticeships Will Make America Great Again

Most observers today credit Germany's vibrant manufacturing sector and low youth unemployment rate to the robust skills of its work force. At a roundtable in Washington D.C., one U.S. CEO has called for the creation of five million new apprenticeships.

Forbes
Sampling The World Of Work In A Four-Hour Adventure

What type of work would I be good at-or truly enjoy doing? Sadly many people graduate high school with no marketable skills, no experience and no plans. Read about one innovative way to introduce younger children to the world of work.

Forbes
College Grads: What No One Is Telling You About Getting Hired

Looking for some practical Job-seeking advice you haven't heard before ? Recruiters spend less than five minutes scanning CVs so to standout, highlight your skills relating to the job vacancy. Innovate. Would a video resume be a good fit for the industry or sector you're targeting?

Forbes
Firefighting Goes Beyond Extinguishing Flames: Inside The Admirable Vocation

Firefighters. They are different than the rest of us. While others run away from a burning building, they race toward it. They hold the line against raging wild fires, pull people from burning buildings, and deal with all types of disasters, including floods, traffic accidents, and chemical spills.

Forbes
3 Ways The Skills Gap Offers Opportunity

America has been sold on the myth that a four-year degree is the only ticket to a solid future. But in reality, this idea that everyone should pursue a college degree has fueled a glaring problem that is crippling the economy and threatening the very future of the Middle Class in America.

Forbes
Why Investing In Apprenticeship Makes Good Dollars And Sense

In a highly polarized election cycle, it is hard to find a topic on which presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump agree. But there is at least one area of common ground: both candidates know that the strength of the economy depends on getting more people into good jobs.

Forbes
3 Ways The Skills Gap Offers Opportunity

America has been sold on the myth that a four-year degree is the only ticket to a solid future. But in reality, this idea that everyone should pursue a college degree has fueled a glaring problem that is crippling the economy and threatening the very future of the Middle Class in America.

Forbes
Why German-Style Education Is Coming To America

Minnesota State Senator Terri Bonoff gets a lot of requests to attend ceremonial openings. But when Swiss-German manufacturing company Bühler asked her to cut the ribbon at its new apprenticeship program, it sparked her interest. Based on the German dual system, Bühler's apprenticeship program brings in trainee-hires as full-time employees [...]

Forbes
How Apprenticeship Will Save The American Economy

President Barack Obama has proclaimed this week - November 1 though November 7 - as National Apprenticeship Week. States the President, "during National Apprenticeship Week, we recognize the ways apprenticeships foster innovation and prosperity, and we recommit to encouraging and supporting those who offer and partake in them."

Forbes
It's Time For America To Expand Modern Apprenticeship

When a room full of passionate apprenticeship advocates met in Washington yesterday for the first day of the Apprenticeship Forward conference, the mood was understandably upbeat and optimistic. Why? Because calls for the U.S. to expand apprenticeship programs seem to be gaining more traction daily.

Forbes
What Is The One Thing That Can Strengthen America's Economic Armor?

In May 2015, automaker Volvo finalized a deal that will move most of its North American production to South Carolina, where its new plant should be operational in 2018, employing 2,000 people and rolling out some 100,000 new vehicles each year. Skilled workers assemble engines at Volvo in Sweden.

Forbes
Building The Case For Skill-Based Education

Although it has been several years since the global financial meltdown of 2008 - which saw stock markets throughout the world crash and hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs - unemployment in the United States remains persistently high. A carpenter carries lumber inside a house under construction in Peoria, [...]

Forbes
To Launch A Successful High-Tech Career, Go To Work In A Factory

Ain't gonna work in the factory greasy up my clothes Ain't gonna work in the factory get splinters in my toes -- from The Factory Girl Song Americans believe in factories. According to a study by the Manufacturing Institute, 90% of Americans think a robust manufacturing base is vital to [...]

Forbes
Surgical Technologist: A Great Job That Doesn't Require A College Degree

About two years ago I was staying at a hotel with my family in Wayne, Pennsylvania, just northwest of Philadelphia. My wife and I woke at 4 a.m. to a parent's worst nightmare: my three-year-old son, James, gasping for breath, and turning blue. I called 911 while my wife carried [...]

Forbes
Leading On College Tuition Reform?

Last January, President Barack Obama announced a plan to make two-year community college free for all Americans. This week, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her New College Compact, a $350 billion program to make four-year college programs tuition-free for students at public universities. Student loan debt accounts for [...]

Forbes
Clinton's Plan To Expand Apprenticeship Makes Good Dollars And Sense

During a recent forum at South Carolina's Trident Technical College, candidate Hillary Clinton proposed a tax incentive to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. With unemployment among 18 to 34 year olds at 7.8%, and nearly 15% among young African-American adults, the need for more apprenticeships and other forms [...]

Forbes
What Is The One Thing That Can Strengthen America's Economic Armor?

In May 2015, automaker Volvo finalized a deal that will move most of its North American production to South Carolina, where its new plant should be operational in 2018, employing 2,000 people and rolling out some 100,000 new vehicles each year. Skilled workers assemble engines at Volvo in Sweden.

Forbes
3 Ways The Skills Gap Offers Opportunity

America has been sold on the myth that a four-year degree is the only ticket to a solid future. But in reality, this idea that everyone should pursue a college degree has fueled a glaring problem that is crippling the economy and threatening the very future of the Middle Class in America.

Forbes
It's Time For America To Expand Modern Apprenticeship

When a room full of passionate apprenticeship advocates met in Washington yesterday for the first day of the Apprenticeship Forward conference, the mood was understandably upbeat and optimistic. Why? Because calls for the U.S. to expand apprenticeship programs seem to be gaining more traction daily.

Linkedin

Linkedin
Five Crucial Skills I Learned Apprenticing in a Restaurant Kitchen

Whatever direction you want your career path to take, you can't go wrong with hands-on learning. This is especially true in today's job market where, according to one recent study[1], more than fifty percent of employers report that recent college graduates are not "job-ready"-meaning, not equipped

Linkedin
Student Loan Debt: Is College the Best Investment ?

Could student loan debt cause the next sub prime mortgage crisis in the US? While some analysts think this prediction is alarmist, others believe it is spot on. Whatever your point of view, there's no denying that, with US student loan debt reaching a record $1.

Linkedin
A New Skill for the New Year

It's time to think about what new skills to acquire in the coming year. My personal New Year's resolution: learn to weld.

Linkedin
Think Outside the Cubicle: How to Nab Your Dream Job at Any Age

Anyone who thinks they're too far along on their career path, or that it's too late in life for them to seize the opportunities of a skills-based career, should be inspired by others; including many retirees or late-career professionals who have decided to take their lives in new, more satisfying di

Linkedin
How a Skills-Based Education Can Help Shape your Dream Career

We all have different passions, talents, ambitions - so why are we all asked to follow the same educational path? There is a common misconception that a traditional four-year college degree is the only logical choice for intelligent, motivated people. Yet successful careers are not handed out with c

Linkedin
5 Resume Building Tips You Won't Get From Your Typical Career Counselor

If you're about to finish high school, or have been out for some time but haven't quite figured out your next move, a tall stack of college brochures and student loan applications may be crowding out a wealth of other information about the myriad alternative educational options for next September.

Linkedin
The Three Best Places to Find Your Next Great Hire

With the hefty price tag attached to a bachelor's degree these days-over $57,000 at a public university and much more at private colleges[1]-you might well expect recent college graduates to emerge from their expensive educations skilled up and job-ready. Unfortunately, even the loftiest peaks of th

Books & Magazines

Changethis
Change This - The Power of Apprenticeship

"There is a huge shift happening in the United States right now: a return to the time-honored tradition of apprenticeship. ... Modern apprenticeships have countless advantages for employers and the economy on the whole, as well as for anyone, at any stage of life, looking to launch a successful, well-paid, and fulfilling career."

Academic Papers

Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization Volume 9 | Issue 1-2 | Winter-Spring 2014 p.113-123
MIT Press Journals

How Apprenticeships Build and Sustain Skills-Based Careers (Innovations Case Narrative: The Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation)

Low Carbon Earth Summit Dalian China
2001
Green Jobs for a Green Future – Transition to a low Carbon Economy

Possible policy measures are dependent on the economic framework of their country. A simple framework is proposed in which countries are placed in a two-dimensional space. One dimension is government control of the economy at one end with industry autonomy at the other.

Nostalgia. Early work.

Forbes