WorkingNation logo with the tagline of "Covering the Future of Work"
DONATE
Search
Capitol Hill
Tags   
Tags 

Opinion: Workforce development is a perfect opportunity for Congress to come together this year

IBM: Modernizing workforce development programs can benefit low-income and adult learners at different stages in their lives
By Justina Nixon-Saintil
-

If there is a bright spot of bipartisan hope for Congressional action, it’s in support of the American workforce. In early December, the U.S. House of Representatives – a body once paralyzed for weeks by fierce partisanship – introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation which would free up more federal funds and remove red tape for more Americans to obtain in-demand skills needed to enter the workforce and advance in their careers.

This past year, the rapid acceleration and adoption of artificial intelligence has shined a spotlight on the need for people to be prepared to work alongside technology. And for many, the most accessible way to obtain new skills is through quality short-term programs, including online learning.

Adoption of flexible learning and working models are seemingly at an all-time high – thanks in part to the rise of remote work and online learning during COVID – yet Americans have difficulty accessing federal resources for short-term training and quality online programs. Fortunately, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce advanced two different pieces of legislation – both with strong bipartisan support – to remedy this problem and make learning more affordable and accessible for Americans who need it most.

The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act would allow low-income students and learners to access federal funds, including for quality short-term and online learning courses. A Stronger Workforce for America Act would modernize our public workforce system and dedicate more funding toward quality programs for in-demand skills to help more Americans enter the workforce and continue advancing in their careers. Together, these pieces of legislation represent an urgent and viable opportunity for Congress to seize this session.

Employers such as IBM know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We recognize that a college degree is not the only credential that signifies workforce readiness and competency. It’s critical for Congress to support multiple pathways to obtaining skills that help make learning and workforce development affordable and accessible regardless of a person’s place, pace, or path. Which is why IBM recently announced a commitment to skill two million people in AI by the end of 2026, with a focus on underrepresented communities through IBM SkillsBuild.

Currently, millions of working adults and students who enroll in short-term programs to upgrade their skills and compete in today’s job market must predominantly pay out of pocket. This, of course, creates barriers for many and excludes low-income Americans from some of the fastest growing and most in-demand careers in technology.

Having time and being able to control one’s schedule is a privilege most working adults don’t have. Limiting federal funding to programs that tie students to being at a physical location at a preordained times excludes many and ignores the realities of today’s adult learners.

Outdated barriers like this exist throughout America’s workforce and education programs, further separating the needs of workers from the demands of learning institutions. Instead, these two pillars should be working together to fill in-demand positions more quickly in critical sectors such as AI and cybersecurity.

The IBM Policy Lab’s Technology Workforce Playbook for the U.S. outlined several policy recommendations for Congress to approach these challenges holistically for students, professionals, and those in between looking to make a career change – and we are thrilled many of our recommendations were incorporated into these bipartisan bills.

As we usher in the new year and members of Congress return to Washington from their districts, we’re welcoming advancement of these two smart, bipartisan bills. As such, IBM urges the House to keep the momentum going and swiftly pass the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act and A Stronger Workforce for America Act and send to the Senate for immediate consideration.  

It’s time for Congress to modernize workforce development programs and recognize the importance of flexibility for low-income and adult learners at different stages in their lives.

Justina Nixon-Saintil is IBM’s Chief Impact Officer and Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Related Articles
Get the latest from WorkingNation
DONATE
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Our Mission
Contact Us

© Copyright 2024 by Structural Unemployment, LLC dba WorkingNation

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.

Share Bio