Workforce development

  1. Examine a problem to be solved in your own business or industry. Develop and analyze the case based on your knowledge of the assigned readings. No additional research is needed, except information from your industry perspective. 2. Use the template. 3. Assume the perspective of a business manager addressing an international issue in your own industry. Take the perspective of a manager in your own industry and consider how the situation of the case could potentially impact your industry and business. While it may be a very localized issue, explain in the overview its relationship to globalization or the international environment. 4. Your responses must address managerial/leadership issues, problems, alternatives, and recommendations for businesses in your current industry, or one that you aspire to enter, based on the current environment of business. 5. The first part of the analysis is an overview of the situation. The short-term problem, the long-term problem, issues, alternatives, recommendation, and action plan deal with your application of this knowledge for your company in your industry. 6. Reference any texts or other documents you use. These additional sources do not have to be academic journals per se, but may include other types of periodicals, news articles, but no open source websites, like Wikipedia. 7. Use APA format. 8. This is the only paper that you write for this course where first person is allowed, so consider this your opportunity to act as “consultant” for your firm. My industry is workforce development.  
Overview of the Situation I am a manager at a workforce development organization that helps businesses find and train qualified workers. Our industry is facing a number of challenges, including:
  • The global skills gap is widening. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, there will be a shortage of 85 million skilled workers worldwide.
  • The nature of work is changing. Automation and artificial intelligence are displacing jobs, and new skills are needed to succeed in the digital economy.
  • The workforce is becoming more diverse. Businesses need to be able to attract and retain workers from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.
Short-Term Problem The most immediate challenge facing our industry is the shortage of skilled workers. This is due to a number of factors, including the aging population, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the rise of the gig economy. As a result, businesses are struggling to find qualified workers to fill open positions. Long-Term Problem The long-term problem facing our industry is the changing nature of work. Automation and artificial intelligence are displacing jobs, and new skills are needed to succeed in the digital economy. This means that businesses need to be able to upskill and reskill their workforces in order to remain competitive. Issues The following are some of the issues that our industry is facing:
  • How can we attract and retain skilled workers in a competitive labor market?
  • How can we upskill and reskill our workforces to meet the demands of the digital economy?
  • How can we make our workforce more diverse and inclusive?
Alternatives There are a number of alternatives that our industry can consider in order to address these challenges. These include:
  • Partnering with educational institutions to provide training and certification programs.
  • Developing apprenticeship programs to give workers on-the-job training.
  • Creating online learning platforms to make training more accessible.
  • Investing in research and development to identify new skills that will be in demand in the future.
Recommendation I recommend that our industry focus on the following three areas in order to address the challenges that we are facing:
  1. Attracting and retaining skilled workers. We need to make our industry more attractive to skilled workers by offering competitive salaries and benefits, as well as opportunities for professional development. We also need to create a culture of diversity and inclusion that welcomes workers from all backgrounds.
  2. Upskilling and reskilling our workforces. We need to provide our workforces with the training and skills they need to succeed in the digital economy. This can be done through partnerships with educational institutions, apprenticeship programs, and online learning platforms.
  3. Investing in research and development. We need to invest in research and development to identify new skills that will be in demand in the future. This will help us to ensure that our workforces are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Action Plan I have developed the following action plan to address the challenges facing our industry:
  1. Attracting and retaining skilled workers. We will develop a marketing campaign to promote our industry to skilled workers. We will also offer competitive salaries and benefits, as well as opportunities for professional development.
  2. Upskilling and reskilling our workforces. We will partner with educational institutions to provide training and certification programs. We will also develop apprenticeship programs and create online learning platforms to make training more accessible.
  3. Investing in research and development. We will invest in research and development to identify new skills that will be in demand in the future. We will also work with educational institutions to develop new curriculums that will prepare workers for these jobs.
I believe that this action plan will help our industry to address the challenges that we are facing and to remain competitive in the global economy. References
  • World Economic Forum (2016). The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
  • Frey, C. B., & Osborne, M. A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, 254-280.
  • McKinsey Global Institute (2017). Jobs lost, jobs gained: What the future of work looks like. New York: McKinsey Global Institute.

Sample Solution

I am a manager at a workforce development organization that helps businesses find and train qualified workers. Our industry is facing a number of challenges, including: