As the future of work continues to evolve, more adults will face career transitions that demand the acquisition and demonstration of new skills, creating cycles of learning and earning throughout life. To enable these transitions and to better support workers, we need to create a new learning ecosystem. As an example of one aspect of this new learning ecosystem, we will learn about a new report from Strada Institute for the Future of Work titled "The New Geography of Skills." The report tells the story of regional variations in the skills required for specific jobs called "skill shapes" and how cities, states, and regions might realign how they prepare their workforce for those jobs. Skill shapes can help regions realign their residents' preparation for 21st century jobs, further develop a competitive niche, and deliver the right skills at the right time for employers, state and regional leaders, educators, and working adults. We will also hear from a representative of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana to describe how the state’s community college system is helping to prepare Hoosiers for quality jobs in the state and how a family foundation that is using private funding to complement the public workforce development system.
