WorkingNation is excited to once again be partnering with SXSW EDU and heading to Austin in March of next year to talk about the intersection of education and work, and solutions to barriers that are keeping people from good, family-sustaining jobs and careers.
As always, we’ll be conducting interviews for our WorkingNation Overheard series. Check out the interviews from the past few years here to get a taste of the conversations happening on stage and off.
We also have partnered with some fantastic organizations and have a lot of very exciting panel ideas that we would like to see come to life on the stages in Austin the week of March 4 through March 7.
Turn these ideas into reality by casting your vote through the SXSW EDU 2024 PanelPicker.
It’s easy to be part of the voting community. Go to the PanelPicker page to sign up (it’s free!) and sign in. You can search for the WorkingNation proposals using the titles below. OR, even easier, check out the panel proposals below, then follow the proposal links in this article to cast your vote.
Help send our panels to Austin!
The Future is Human: Reimagining Career Resiliency
As every facet of our world continues to evolve, the workplace is no exception. Tasked with preparing the next generation, higher education institutions must reimagine how they engage and equip students to prepare them for the world of work. The future is human, and leaders will be challenged to think critically about the impacts of technology on work, workforce, and workplace. Focused on human skills, experiential learning, and life design, organizations must be empowered to implement innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of its students and the workforce.
- Farouk Dey, Vice Provost for Integrative Learning and Life Design, Johns Hopkins University
- Jane Oates, President, WorkingNation
- Nicole Overley, Senior Manager, Founder, Deloitte’s Future of Work Institute, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Follow this link to cast your vote!
The Future is Green: Building Skills for the Green Economy
Hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide are highly vulnerable to climate extremes and economic transition impacts. As the world transitions to net-zero emissions, there will be a need for workers with new skills. A Green Collar worker is not determined by a worker’s industry, location, or skills but rather how decarbonization influences their work and skills. What skills are needed for the Green Collar workforce of the future and how can the workforce development ecosystem activate those skills and prepare individuals for these rapidly evolving impacts to their work?
- Karen Cunningham, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
- Jane Oates, President, WorkingNation
- PJ Rivera, Human Capital Strategy & Growth Leader, National Hispanic/Latinx Leader, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
- Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Director, State of Connecticut, Office of Workforce Strategies
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Making Room for Diverse Talent and Voices in Gaming
Oakland-based Gameheads is training low-income youth and youth of color for careers in the $385 billion gaming industry. The nonprofit teaches game design and development in person and online, encouraging students to center their storytelling around their culture in order to increase diversity in the industry. The panel will examine the impact new voices can have on game creation and the training model that’s turning the germ of an idea into a career. Hear from young people who have successful created their own games.
- Damon Packwood, Creator and Executive Director, Gameheads
- Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNation
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Storytelling Survivorship: From Slavery to Safe Employment
Opportunities exist for philanthropy to address the atrocities of human trafficking through more “traditional” funding priorities like workforce readiness. Ares Management LLC and Nomi Network have partnered for a collection of stories that spotlight how Nomi Network’s job training programs help women and girls in India overcome such exploitation. The organization’s efforts help create pathways to safe employment for those most vulnerable so that they can earn fair wages, enjoy secure working conditions and gain access to the support services necessary to lead happy, fulfilling lives.
- Michelle Armstrong, Head of Philanthropy, Ares Management LLC
- Kelly Gage, Director of Advancement, Nomi Network
- Ishrat Jahan, Director of International Programs, Nomi Network
- Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNation
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Philanthropy, Purpose, and Professional Development
While the dialogue frequently centers around how workplace volunteer programs help bolster organizations’ reputational brand, the effects on those who participate have been unclear. This matters if employers want to attract and retain talent, and better ensure a quality on-the-job experience. Workplace volunteer programs can transform individuals as they develop, strengthen and apply skills through “give back” opportunities. This global study across five countries examined what those skills are, who participates and why, and if and how volunteerism truly boosts employees’ engagement.
- Michelle Armstrong, Executive Director, Ares Charitable Foundation, Ares Management LLC
- Lee Fabiaschi, VP, Employee Engagement and Community Impact, Ares Management LLC
- Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNation
Follow this link to cast your vote!
AltFinance: Investing in Black Futures
AltFinance helps eradicate impediments that might preclude Historically Black College & University (HBCU) students’ professional pursuits in the alternative investment industry. The Ares Charitable Foundation’s $30 million commitment supports the delivery of this multiyear initiative that provides career preparation and training, mentorship and coaching, and internship and full-time career placement opportunities. This session explores how philanthropy can help accelerate economic equality through funding for workforce readiness programming intended to close the Black–white wealth gap.
- Michelle Armstrong, Executive Director, Ares Charitable Foundation, Ares Management LLC
- Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNation
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Apprenticeships in High-Growth Industries
Companies find it increasingly difficult to recruit skilled workers in high-growth, high-demand industries. Paid apprenticeships are one solution to closing this skills gap and creating a pipeline of top talent. Apprenticeships provide a career pathway to competitive employment with family-sustaining wages in non-traditional industries like finance, IT, clean energy, health care, and cybersecurity. This panel will explore how employers can benefit from launching a Registered Apprenticeship program and the steps they can take to launch a program, including securing funding to support them.
- Josh Christianson, Executive Director, Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeships
- Nicholas Morgan, President, Adaptive Construction Solutions
- Meghan Parrilla, VP, Global Early Careers, Aon
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Apprenticeships for People with Disabilities
One in four working-age adults have a disability, yet many are underemployed or unemployed. Organizations have the opportunity to develop apprenticeship programs that create a pathway to this pool of untapped talent. When these programs are designed to be inclusive, they can help employers recruit and retain diverse talent. What’s more, fostering inclusion in apprenticeships can help organizations demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and enhance career pathways for underserved communities, including people with disabilities.
- Zariah Cameron, Equity Centered UX Strategist, Ally Bank
- Josh Christianson, Executive Director, Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeships
- David Fazio, Founder and President, Helix Opportunity
- Mike Hess, Founder & Executive Director, The Blind Institute of Technology
Follow this link to cast your vote!
Bridge Academies for People with Disabilities
IT help desk staff is increasingly hard for companies to come by. Bridge academies provide a non-traditional path for people with disabilities to obtain employable, in-demand skills to fill these jobs and set them on a path to lifelong careers in the IT industry. Participants earn Industry certifications that help prepare them to fill these jobs and employers benefit by having access to an untapped talent pool of trained IT workers. The panel will explore how the model can be deployed by employers and create a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace.
- Josh Christianson, Executive Director, Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeships
- Patrick Romzek, CEO and Founder, Three Talents
- Sriram Narayanan, Faculty Director, Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership, Michigan State University
Follow this link to cast your vote!
The True Impacts of Education on Global Mobility and Society
Global mobility is driven by passports, VISAs, and diplomas – all of which are out of reach for much of the world’s population. But allowing access to broader education and learning opportunities could change that, and not just those for those with wealth and means. Through a rich discussion with experts spanning the economic, immigration, and academic spaces, attendees will gain a better understanding of the possibilities of removing the friction that prevents true global mobility and what that means for our educational systems globally.
- Hiroshi Motomura, Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Los Angeles
- Ramona Schindelheim, Editor in Chief, WorkingNation
- Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Rohit Sharma, Senior Vice President of Global Higher Education and Workskills, ETS
Follow this link to cast your vote!
