The future of the workforce is being driven by technology. The impact of technology, responses of the workforce to technology and needed responses by government to these changes in the workforce are discussed in this presentation. This presentation was given to the International Economic Development Leadership Summiit on January 29th, 2013 as part of a panel on "The Evolving Nature of Today's Workforce"

1. The Future of the Workforce
Colleen LaRose
North East Regional
Employment and Training Association

2. Situation, Task, Action, Response
 Situation
Value of the workforce
“New economy” market adaptations
 Task
System responses needed
 Action
Adopting new roles and responsibilities
 Response
Evaluate and share!
Collaboration is the Key!

3. Workforce Quality is now the
#1 Reason for Business Investments
Workforce quality is the number one reason that
businesses now choose their location…surpassing tax
incentives, low cost of business, transportation, and even
quality of life!

4. How much is the Workforce Worth?
$ Total cash in the world is about 45 T
$ Total assets in the world about 500T(not including human capital)
$ Net US wealth – + = 58T
US debt is over 16T (rising at about 1 million per minute) – ¼ of all US physical assets.
+ +
= 118T
The real wealth of nations, The Economist, June 30, 2012

5. What is “A Quality Workforce?”
 Education - average years of schooling
 Skills - the wage workers can command
 Health - number of years of expected work
before employees retire/die
 Engagement – company’s success/drives performance
 Only 9% of employees are engaged when no focus on strengths
 Engagement soars 73% when focus on the strengths
Strengths based Leadership – Rath and Conchie

6. The “New” Economy
Communities of the Future –Rick Smyre
 Three economies converging…
Industrial, Knowledge, Creative Molecular
What is Creative Molecular?
Demonstrates biological/organic principles
Free flowing networks and ecosystems
Adaptable, open structures
More people involved
Not rigid physics industrial economy principles

7. Not Enough Jobs!
Only 3.5 million jobs now available in US
12 million people actively on unemployment
at least another 10 million “invisible” unemployed
Where are the jobs???
Who are we training and for what?
What will human capital needs look like next year?
Five years from now?

8. How is the Workforce Evolving?
TIBOT
1. Technology as a game changer
2. Innovation, foresight and entrepreneurship driven
3. Building of networks and connecting as needed - Global and ‘Flattened’
connections through social media - and co-op - not hierarchical
4. Organic financing
5. Talent – “Just in time”/temporary, skills/strengths based

9. Technology as a Game Changer!
Change is the new way of life
Rise of the Leveling of the playing field - more egalitarian
machines More independence
(technology, robots, Higher expectations
self-checkout, etc) More adaptable, more virtual
More efficient and effective
More current
More collaboration –Less silos
More transparency
Need for more STEM workers
Less need for labor
Knowledge less valued
Less training
FEWER JOBS!

10. Innovation, Foresight and
Entrepreneurship Driven
Innovation
Adapting quickly
Innovation is driving wealth
Need “Creative Confidence” – help recognizing new opportunities, align with education
Foresight
“Future Focus”
More social consciousness
Need Succession/transfer knowledge planning (teacher mentoring, ojt, apprenticeship/internship)
Entrepreneurship
Growth of entrepreneurship (esp women)
Less “safety nets” - more fear
Need support for independent contractors, entrepreneurship and small business

11. Building of Networks and Connecting as Needed
Global and ‘Flattened’ Connections Through Social Media
Social Media
Listening/building relationships
Accelerated communication
Efficient, transparent, business insights
More Inclusive (more people, more ideas)
No time constraints
Greater collaboration
Global
Global communications capacity More global work
Glocal Opportunities to be local, globally
Flattened
Breaking through gatekeepers Direct to source
More egalitarian Co-op – Not Hierarchical

12. Organic Financing
Accessing capital in new ways that embrace the changing economy
 Crowd funding
 DPO’s
 Microloans
 Local economies
 New Union opportunities?

13. Talent
Job Shortage? Or Jobs Shortened?
“Gigging” “Just in Time”/Temporary”
(1099 employees - new entrepreneurs – “TEMPFOLIO”)
Less company loyalty, less expectation of long term employment
Some employers illegally avoid paying wage taxes by hiring “temps”.
Not everyone is entrepreneurial
No health ins, ui, tuition, 401K, no dependable income (less likely to make large purchases)
Less incumbent worker training
Skills Gap? Skills and Strengths-based (autonomy, mastery, purpose)
Talent “pipeline” – need supply chain mentality - align with education
Selling discrete skills – not whole package (soft skills as important?)
Fewer employees – need broader skill set
Growth in distance/independent learning (Khan Academy)
Community Colleges - larger role in business support/short-term training
More independent and socially conscious – use strengths in new ways

14. Applying What We Now Know
to Who We Are….
T - Technology is the game changer
I - Innovation, foresight, entrepreneurship
B - Building of Networks – Social, Global and Flattened
O- Organic Financing
T- Talent
How do these trends impact on public policy and
public administration?

15. Comparison
Workforce Development Economic Development
1. Job Development (who has jobs?) 1. Job Creation (work w/ business to make
jobs)
2. Collaborative
2. Compete locally/regionally
3. Federally funded (with rules)
3. Locally and state funded (few, if any rules)
4. Attempts to be a system 4. Not a system
5. Employer services related to acquiring 5. Business recruitment/retention services
employees (job postings, such as Tax Incentives, Location Hunting
screening, OJT, etc) 6. Infrastructure/transportation support
6. Jobseeker services (Eligibility/Resumes) 7. Business development support
7, Coordination of education providers 8. Community Development support
8. Youth Support 9. Bottom-Line $$$
9. Coordination of social services supports 10. Quality of Life (eg. Parks)
10. Holistic support system

16. Solutions –
Adapting to the New Economy
AS IS Could Be
Economic
Development
Business Government
Business Economic Government
Development
Workforce
Workforce Development
Development
Education Education

17. Collaborating Does Work!
Examples:
Joint CEDS Planning - Arlington/Alexandria, VA –
Across State Lines! – Oh Penn
WIB’s as economic development decision-makers- Eastern Maine
Opportunities:
CEDS, WIRED, Cluster Studies, Sector Studies

18. Can Economic Development and
Workforce Development Align?
1) Local economic/workforce. SWOT
2) Impact of broader regional economy.
3) Ed and wd vision and goals. Goal attainment.
4) Policies? Regulatory environment.
5) Ed and wd communications? – Stakeholders/partner communications.
6) Needs of your local business community.
7) Support start-ups, growth and expansion of local businesses.
8) Ed and wd pr/messaging.
Inspired by a report from National League of Cities and IEDC:
The Role of Local Elected Officials in Economic Development. 10 things you should know.

19. Effectiveness in Achieving Local Goals
Synchronist Business Information Systems – Eric Canada
 Addresses employer needs
 Aligns workforce development and economic development
Satisfaction with the community?
Value to the community?
ROI? Growth potential?
Risk of leaving/downsizing?
What’s the problem?
How can we help?

20. Which Businesses Need and Deserve Help?
Plot companies, using data in meaningful ways.
High Growth, Low Value High Growth and High Value
G Often at greatest risk
Startups Problems usually around workforce
R High ROI
O
W
Low Value, Low Growth High Value, Low Growth
T
Retraining for other Examples: Mold makers,
H opportunities Insurance Industry
V A L U E

21. Improved Systems Communication Using
Online Technologies
Fix #1 - Local online forums
• Collaborate on training and funding (grants coordination)
• Share best practices and advocacy efforts
• Stay current on news/legislation and employer needs
• Easier employer partnering with system partners (community colleges, K-12, One
Stop Career Centers, etc)
• Easier communications makes it more attractive for companies looking to locate
in that region (National branding of One Stops)

22. Improved Systems Communication Using
Online Technologies (cont.)
Fix #2 - Customer Resource Management Tool
(crm)
Jobseekers getting “matched “ with education and employment opportunities
Information shared in database with Strategic decisions made to fulfill
workforce staff (case mgrs, wib, etc) employer’s needs
Start
Employer outreach (ED, BSR) Jobseekers trained to address
Evaluate workforce needs employer’s needs
Trainees placed in jobs

23. A Day in the Life of a WIB Director
DEAR WIB DIRECTOR: Please fix these issues!
Low Literacy Levels
Employers Mental Health
Help! Laziness/poor work ethic
State WIB Computer illiteracy
Youth employment needs
Local WIB Older worker employment needs
Veterans employment needs
Offender employment needs
State DOL Person’s w/disabilities employment needs
Everybody else’s employment needs
Transportation /child care needs
Job seekers Articulation between schools
Staff/Contractors Partners We will have more for you to
fix tomorrow.

24. More Goal Setting Challenges
 WIB Federal constraints
 Dynamic Environment
 Forecasting is an inexact science
 Conflicting priorities (Globalization/Buy American)
 Economic Gardening vs. Recruitment
 Infrastructure support/growth vs. tax base
(new schools, new neighborhoods, more traffic, etc)
 Business vs. environmental/quality of life
 Business profits vs. sustainable wages and humanity
25% of jobs in the US pay below the poverty line
(less than $23,000 yr for family of 4)
50% of the jobs in the US
pay less than $34,000 a year
From Economic Policy Institute

25. Who “Creates” Jobs?
 What does job creation mean? Entrepreneurship? Innovation? Start-ups?
Collateral growth? Growing companies? Importing companies?
 Who is responsible?
Economic development? Politicians? Business? Education?
 Is there a role for workforce development in JOB CREATION?
New paradigm of “work?”
Seeding/training entrepreneurs?
Helping companies recognize expansion opportunities?
Providing HR support/onboarding?
Providing workforce management?
(change management, org. dev., team training, etc.)
Liaison to economic development and funders?

26. Role of Government for
Job Creation
Private Sector Creates Jobs
Traditional:
Funding for infrastructure
Policy incentives for job creation, Tax relief to small businesses
Business recruitment and support.
Government provides clear expectations (fair, consistent rules enforced for all)
Targeted funding initiatives to create current/real job skills development training
programs
Modern:
Review of laws that may be thwarting growth
“With” the public…not “for” the public…
Start-up resources, services, funding, information (Jobs Act, selling to government)
Align economic development with workforce development and education
Share what is working!
Investment in risk
Public works program? (communication/ energy)

27. Where is the Potential
for Job Creation?
75% of businesses in the US have no employees….
52% of all small businesses are home based
Small business employs half of all private sector employees
Stage 2 businesses (10-99 employees) are the major
employers! Small business created 90% of all new jobs.
Glocalism

28. Opportunities to Provide Support
in Business Growth and Talent Management
 Liaison to Other Resources
New financing models (crowd funding, direct public offerings, micro-loans)
SBDC, SCORE, Incubators, Accelerators, Co-op shops, Maker shops
 Intellectual Capital
Workforce Management tools
Management Analysis
Opportunity Identification, Value Innovation, Overcome Challenges
Ongoing Support/Mentoring
 Employing modern methodologies/technologies
Online Research and Marketing
Cyber security
Green Technologies
Economic gardening

29. Benefits of an Evolved Workforce
 Teams all working at strengths
 Time of great change/great opportunity
 New avenues of service and engagement
 Collective vision for potential

30. Next Steps
1. Help your local WIB Director prioritize job creation strategies –
a) Joint CEDS planning with WIB Director
b) Joint industry sector and industry cluster studies
c) Support for entrepreneurs? Company expansion opportunities?
(HR support, workforce management)
2) Establish a shared customer resource management tool (crm)
3) Establish a local online forum for educators, ed, wd and employers
4) Strategize how to help “independent contractors, entrepreneurs and small business
a) co-op space
b) crowdfunding
c) support – (economic gardening, mentoring, resources)
5) Evaluate and share! Join NERETA on Linked In! (Linkd.in/neretaorg)

31. The Big Take-Away…
"Collaboration is the stuff of growth"
-Anonymous

32. Situation, Task, Action, Response
Now that you know the situation and the tasks needed…
 What specific actions will you take?
 What response do you anticipate locally?
 Will you share your challenges/successes globally?

33. Contact
Colleen LaRose
President and CEO
North East Regional Employment and Training Association
P: (908) 995-7718
E: Colleen@nereta.org
W: www.nereta.org
Twitter: @neretaorg
LinkedIn Group: Linkd.in/neretaorg