Due to workplace projections, it is critical that employers partner with educators in order to grow talent, bridge the gap between our current and future STEM workforce, and support students in choosing STEM as a career.

Underserved populations face barriers that limit their access to in-demand jobs. Nontraditional talent may not have four year degrees, for example. They also may not have access to professional networks that produce word of mouth job referrals or interviews. Some may have been involved in the justice system, leaving blemishes on their backgrounds that exclude them from the very corporate jobs that bring long-term stability. These barriers reinforce an uphill climb - without the first internship or professional work experience, others are more difficult. 

On Monday, the U.S. Chamber revealed a new art installation, “Building the Workforce of the Future,” showcasing some of America’s leading employers in workforce development efforts. These employers are: PNC, The Home Depot, IBM, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, the Greater Houston Partnership, Wyoming Machine, and Novelis. The display illustrates the work of these companies, across the four phases of the nation’s talent pipeline, to close the skills gap and cultivate a highly-trained workforce of tomorrow.

Learning and development (L&D) leaders need to shift how they’ve traditionally approached their jobs—from being the gatekeepers of knowledge to being facilitators of learning. It’s time to put employees in the driver’s seat with self-service learning resources that satisfy both immediate hard-skill needs as well as the soft skills they’ll use and refine over the course of their entire careers. Though no one has a crystal ball to tell you exactly where to focus, here are some core principles to follow as you set up a learning culture where employees are free to learn and upskill on their own terms.