Talent Forward 2018

Conference Agenda

The Talent Forward 2018 agenda is shaping up to be a full day of dynamic speakers, important conversations, and diverse presentation styles. This year we are shifting the focus away from simply talking about the challenges of the education and workforce systems – because we all know what the challenges are – instead, our agenda truly is one of solutions and action, with the people in the room that can, and are, making it happen.

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Throughout the day, the Briefing Center provides you with a fully-connected networking space. In this conference room you will also find our Emerging Tech in Education and Workforce Development space, where you can experiment with demonstrations from companies using emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) to make training and upskilling more accessible, efficient, and effective in k-12 education, postsecondary education, and the workforce.

Print Agenda

Oct 30

Tuesday October 30, 2018

8:00am to 9:00am

Registration and Networking Breakfast

9:00am to 9:10am

Hall of Flags

Welcome

Speakers:

Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President, CEW; Vice President, Education Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

9:10am to 9:40am

Hall of Flags

Opening Keynote

Speakers:

Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

9:40am to 10:20am

Hall of Flags

Reactionary Discussion

Business leaders consistently hear that the number one issue keeping the economy from thriving is talent. Following his keynote, leaders join Thomas J. Donohue for a reactionary discussion about the factors that create a conducive environment for companies to devote their attention to workforce development in ways that will benefit the American worker.

Moderated By:

Patricia de Stacy Harrison, President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

10:20am to 11:05am

Hall of Flags

Adapting to Change: Technology and the Talent Marketplace

We must leverage today’s technology to better align learner, education, and workforce data to improve the talent marketplace. One solution is through the Job Data Exchange (JDX). The JDX is a set of open-source tools for employers and their HR technology partners to improve how employers better communicate competency and credentialing requirements for in-demand jobs.

A TED-style talk followed by a panel discussion on the technology, data, and initiatives that better connect the skills people have with jobs that are available more quickly and more accurately.

Moderated By:

Paul Fain, Senior Reporter, Inside Higher Ed

Speakers:

Matt Gee, President, BrightHive

Robert Sheets, Research Professor, George Washington University Institute for Public Policy

Sarah Steinberg, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

11:05am to 11:15am

Hall of Flags

Clearer Signals

A 10 minute TED-style talk. Session title and description will be announced soon.

Speakers:

Mike Reading, Service Director, Mercedez-Benz

11:15am to 11:55am

Hall of Flags

Expanding and Extending Career Pathways

Industry leaders must be at the forefront of exploring innovative models that connect young adults to jobs more effectively, cultivating job-ready skills, and building stronger connections with education and workforce partners. These pathways must include non-traditional opportunities to ensure that the workforce does not miss out on potential talent. Three companies that are leading the way in providing meaningful work-based learning experiences for youth will discuss how their organizations are changing lives and the system.

Moderated By:

Elissa Nadworny, Reporter and Editor, NPR Ed

Speakers:

Jennifer Carpenter, Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Delta

Lisa Schumacher, Director, Educational Strategies, McDonald’s

Jennifer Stredler, Vice President, Workforce Development, Salesforce.org

11:55am to 12:25pm

Hall of Flags

Investing in Upskilling Your Current Workforce

A series of TED-style talks, 10 minutes each. Other speakers and session titles will be announced soon.

Ready, Willing & Able: Youth Are the Best Investment You'll Ever Make, with Susan Reichle

Speakers:

Lisa Neuberger, Managing Director, Strategy + Innovation for Corporate Citizenship, Accenture

Susan Reichle, President and Chief Operating Officer, International Youth Foundation

Allen Shaheen, Executive Vice President, North American Regional Delivery Centers, Cognizant, and Board Member, Cognizant U.S. Foundation

12:25pm to 12:55pm

Hall of Flags

SEATED LUNCH

12:55pm to 1:05pm

Hall of Flags

Research Presentation

A 10 minute TED-style talk. Session title and description will be announced soon.

Speakers:

Kevin Capitani, President, North America, Pearson

1:05pm to 1:45pm

Hall of Flags

State Leadership Transforms Workforce Development

Policymakers hear from their constituents on a daily basis about the economy, jobs, and inequity. State leaders play a pivotal not only in setting the tone that workforce is critical to a state’s success, but also enacting the policies that get the job done of connecting workers to career opportunities. This conversation will feature state leaders who are nationally recognized as prioritizing talent in their states.

1:45pm to 1:55pm

BREAK

1:55pm to 2:30pm

Hall of Flags

Business Means Business on Upskilling Their Talent

Employers are playing an expanded leadership role in preparing talent for in-demand skills and competencies aligned to the needs of today’s workforce. Panelists will highlight the business community’s commitment to prepare and train current and future workers for the ever-changing talent marketplace.

Other panelists will be announced soon.

Speakers:

Maggie Koizol, Senior Manager, Deloitte LLP

Eric Westphal, Senior Director, Global Corporate Affairs, Cognizant

Maria Zazycki, Senior Manager, Walmart Giving, Walmart Inc.

2:30pm to 2:45pm

Hall of Flags

Employers Overcoming the Skills Gap

The Chamber Foundation, in coordination with the U.S. Chamber, mobilizes the business community to be more engaged partners, challenge the status quo, and move education and workforce initiatives forward to fuel economic success. The Chamber Foundation will provide an update on current workforce projects to revolutionize employer leadership in workforce systems and processes.

Speakers:

Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President, CEW; Vice President, Education Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

2:45pm to 3:20pm

Hall of Flags

Looking Beyond Hope as a Workforce Strategy: Talent Supply Chains at Work

The U.S. Chamber Foundation's Talent Pipeline Management™ (TPM) initiative has vastly evolved since its inception but at its core is an actionable, employer-led playbook to tackle business problems with business solutions. Members of the TPM™ National Learning Network will share their challenges and successes implementing TPM-based projects in their communities—and discuss how employers can more meaningfully engage and manage talent supply chains.

Other panelists will be announced soon.

Moderated By:

Beth Davisson, Executive Director of the Workforce Center, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

Speakers:

Marcia Black-Watson, Division Administrator, Industry Engagement, Michigan Talent Investment Agency

Dan Malone, Senior Vice President Emeritus

Kevin Stotts, President, Talent 2025

3:20pm to 3:30pm

Hall of Flags

Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College

A 10 minute TED-style talk. Scalable Solutions to Close the Skills Gap Are “Employer-Down,” Not “Education-Up”

Efforts to close the skills gap have always been “Education-Up”: identify missing skills, develop curriculum, deliver education, and hope that graduates find good jobs. But new “Employer-Down” models that begin with employer relationships and entry-level jobs are scaling faster and represent a promising private sector solution to closing the skills gap.

Speakers:

Ryan Craig, Co-Founder and Managing Director, University Ventures

3:30pm to 4:15pm

Hall of Flags

Building Talent from Scratch

Career readiness is an overused, misunderstood term. Education is often given the blame for not adequately preparing students for the world of work; however, to truly solve this challenge will require strategic engagement from other critical stakeholders, especially the employer community. This discussion will take on the challenge of rethinking not only how we educate our citizens but also how employers assess a potential employee’s preparation.

Moderated By:

Lisa Stark, Broadcast Correspondent at Education Week and PBS NewsHour

Speakers:

Christie Gragnani-Woods, Consumer & Small Business Global Talent Acquisition Executive, Bank of America

Philip Hardin, CEO and Co-Founder, YouScience

Chris Winton, Vice President of Human Resources, FedEx Services

4:15pm to 4:45pm

Hall of Flags

Show Me the Progress

Continual learning and adaptability to new climates or change is critical to an individual, a company, or a community’s ability to grow and remain competitive. Creating a corporate culture that embraces and encourages lifelong learning can result in resiliency and opportunity. Companies leading the way in supporting their employees, current and future, will discuss how to cultivate a performance-based environment that can be replicated at companies large and small.

Additional panel members will be announced soon.

Speakers:

Nakeisha Brown, Manager, Instructional Design, Honeywell Process Solutions

Steve Johnson, Director of Associate Career Development, Amazon

5:00pm to 7:00pm

Briefing Center