Latest
Nicholas Wyman
Author, CEO & Keynote Speaker
United States
Job Skills & Training in the 21st-Century Workplace.
United States
Job Skills & Training in the 21st-Century Workplace.
Latest
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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
McGraw-Hill Education's (MHE) survey on readying college graduates for the workforce is hot off the press. With the school year just around the corner, a new crop of graduates gearing up for their job search after summer break and a robust economy, this survey is timely.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Innovative pathways and partnerships Partnerships between schools and industry can provide opportunities for students to engage with the world of work to better understand the relevance of their learning to jobs and post-school pathways.
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.
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.
At P-TECH schools – the name is derived from Pathways in Technology – students stay for an extra two years after year 12.
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.
Andrew Skelnik grew up in what he calls a "strong blue-collar background" in Chicago. His father was an electrician, his uncle was a carpenter and his first job out of high school was in the mailroom of a printing plant, where he worked his way up to become a pressman.
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.
An age-old practice with origins in medieval times, is now gaining traction again in the United States.
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...
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
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, [...]
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.
McGraw-Hill Education's (MHE) survey on readying college graduates for the workforce is hot off the press. With the school year just around the corner, a new crop of graduates gearing up for their job search after summer break and a robust economy, this survey is timely.
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.
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, [...]
Work based skills are changing as more and more jobs are displaced by digital technologies. Software, apps and online technology has already had an impact on many professions.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
When you back up a commitment with $75 million, people tend to pay attention. I'm certainly paying attention to New Skills for Youth (NSFY), the $75 million grant initiative sponsored by JPMorgan Chase to change the way we approach career and technical education in the U.S.
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.
Why do companies struggle to find the right talent, despite the fact that we have never been better educated as a society? It all points to a major mismatch between the skills our students are being taught and their relevance to the employment market.
We live in the age of technological change. Advances in medical technology give hope each year to millions of people affected by cancer. On a recent trip to Palo Alto California, I went behind the scenes to look at one of the industry's most innovative, Varian Medical Systems.
Children see glinting planes in the sky and dream of being there, high above the earth, free to travel to distant places. Most of us discard this dream with childhood, however, as there is no clear pathway from our day-to-day lives to a career in aviation. Skills shortages in the aviation [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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."
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.
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.
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
Books & Magazines
The traditional approaches used to cultivate talent, in either school or on the job, are out of sync with evolving employer needs.
"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
Apprenticeship pathways in regional American labour markets
Contemporary Apprenticeship Reforms and Reconfigurations
How Apprenticeships Build and Sustain Skills-Based Careers (Innovations Case Narrative: The Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation)
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