The NETL Regional Workforce Initiative will present a free Future of Work Webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21. This online event will explore how rapid technology and societal changes have affected workforce training and created significant challenges in various industries, including the energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The webinar is free, but registration is required. Interested persons can register for the webinar here.

Presenters from the RAND Corporation will discuss the company’s report “A System that Works — Reimagining the Workforce Development and Employment System for the 21st Century and Beyond.”

The report is based on a RAND study that found the American workplace has changed profoundly over the past 40 years and described how it continues to evolve. Employers continue to need workers with industry-specific knowledge. But they also increasingly value such skills as effective communication and critical thinking to facilitate teamwork and meet expectations of ongoing innovation.

As a result, some workers find that their knowledge and skills are no longer up to date or even necessary. In addition, some employers struggle to find workers who have the kinds of skills and knowledge needed to keep their companies well-staffed and competitive over the long term.

RAND researchers took a systems approach to rethinking current workforce development and employment practices. The study pinpoints ways in which the system is failing many and envisions how educators, employers, workers and other stakeholders can rebuild the current system to bring about much-needed transformation.

Suggestions to help employers and workforce training providers navigate these and other changes will be discussed.

The mission of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative is to create a platform for regional stakeholders to engage the Laboratory and federal agencies in collaborative workforce development efforts. These efforts complement energy and advanced manufacturing innovation and research by addressing the necessary workforce assessments and training.
NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory that produces technological solutions to America’s energy challenges. For more than 100 years, the Laboratory has advanced technology to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to the American people. NETL’s mission is to discover, integrate, and mature technology solutions to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations.