Future of Work Mujica

‘Inexperienced workers have the most to gain in terms of productivity when it comes to leveraging generative AI’

Reflections on the big issues shaping our workforce in the coming year from our WorkingNation Advisory Board
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We asked our WorkingNation Advisory Board to share their thoughts on the most important issues and challenges facing the workforce and the labor market in 2024.

Hector Mujica leads the economic opportunity portfolio at Google.org, which provides grants aimed at providing pathways to digital economy jobs for people with barriers to employment. 

Here are his thoughts on The Future of Work 2024.

“In 2023, the workforce development ecosystem underwent significant transformations, addressing some of the perennial challenges that have long hindered its efficiency. One of the central concerns has been the gap between the skills employers seek and those possessed by job seekers and workers.

“We witnessed a concerted effort by educational institutions, corporate training programs, and online learning platforms to bridge this gap. Tailored training programs, increased emphasis on soft skills, and partnerships between academia and industry have begun to align the skills of the workforce with market demands.

“One bright spot is Google.org grantee CodePath, which is working diligently to ensure that curriculum being offered in university classrooms, particularly to historically underserved students, matches the competencies tech employers are looking for. And for STARs (those Skilled Through Alternative Routes), we continue to bet big on programs like the Google Career Certificate Fund, which is working with providers like Merit America to train learners for roles in a range of in-demand fields like IT Support.

“Progress in workforce development is evident. Yet, there are areas where progress lags, particularly in addressing the needs of marginalized communities and ensuring equal access to upskilling opportunities. That’s why I remain committed to ensuring that we empower more minority-led and serving workforce development institutions like the Hispanic Federation to reach more individuals with the skills they need, alongside the right cultural adaptations to make the content breakthrough.

“Looking ahead to 2024, the focus should be on innovative solutions that further inclusivity in the workforce. This includes leveraging emerging technologies like generative AI in meaningful ways to ensure more learners can be served at scale.

“Generative AI has unimaginable potential, and it is already proving that inexperienced workers have the most to gain in terms of productivity when it comes to leveraging generative AI. Continuing to invest in generative AI solutions that are unbiased and can help learners will not only boost reach, but it will also enhance the productivity of the workforce development ecosystem as a whole.

“While 2023 marked a year of progress in workforce development, with notable strides in aligning skills with employer needs, the journey towards a truly inclusive and equitable workforce is ongoing. The year 2024 presents unique opportunities to address these challenges through innovative technical solutions, fostering an ecosystem where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.”

Read more from our WorkingNation Advisory Board members on The Future of Work 2024.

Dana Beth Ardi

Executive Committee

Dana Beth Ardi, PhD, Executive Committee, is a thought leader and expert in the fields of executive search, talent management, organizational design, assessment, leadership and coaching. As an innovator in the human capital movement, Ardi creates enhanced value in companies by matching the most sought after talent with the best opportunities. Ardi coaches boards and investors on the art and science of building high caliber management teams. She provides them with the necessary skills to seek out and attract top-level management, to design the ideal organizational architectures and to deploy people against strategy. Ardi unearths the way a business works and the most effective way for people to work in them.

Ardi is an experienced business executive and senior consultant who leverages business organizational transformation through talent strategies. She uses her knowledge and experience to develop talent strategies to enhance revenue and profit contributions. She has a deep expertise in change management and organizational effectiveness and has designed and built high performance cultures. Ardi has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, IPO’s and turnarounds.

Ardi is an expert on the multi-generational workforce. She understands the four intersecting generations of workers coming together in contemporary companies, each with their own mindsets, leadership and communications styles, values and motivations. Ardi is sought after to assist companies manage and thrive by bringing the generations together. Her book, Fall of the Alphas: How Beta Leaders Win Through Connection, Collaboration and Influence, will be published by St. Martin’s Press. The book reflects Ardi’s deep expertise in understanding organizations and our changing society. It focuses on building a winning culture, how companies must grow and evolve, and how talent influences and shapes communities of work. This is what she has coined “Corporate Anthropology.” It is a playbook on how modern companies must meet challenges – culturally, globally, digitally, across genders and generations.

Ardi is currently the Managing Director and Founder of Corporate Anthropology Advisors, LLC, a consulting company that provides human capital advisory and innovative solutions to companies building value through people. Corporate Anthropology works with organizations, their cultures, the way they grow and develop, and the people who are responsible for forming their communities of work.

Prior to her position at Corporate Anthropology Advisors, Ardi served as a Partner/Managing Director at the private equity firms CCMP Capital and JPMorgan Partners. She was a partner at Flatiron Partners, a venture capital firm working with early state companies where she pioneered the human capital role within an investment portfolio.

Ardi holds a BS from the State University of New York at Buffalo as well as a Masters degree and PhD from Boston College. She started her career as professor at the Graduate Center at Fordham University in New York.