Monday, December 13, 2021
11:00 am – 11:05 am (ET)
Welcome and Introduction
Barbara Lombardo, PhD, Program Director and Distinguished Principal Research Fellow, The Conference Board
11:05 am – 11:40 am (ET)
The Re-Skilling Revolution
Automation and the ever-accelerating pace of change are igniting a reskilling revolution that is changing how we need to prepare for, conduct, and conceive of work. Panelists from organizations at the forefront of the re-skilling revolution will address the critical need to reskill the workforce and focus on skills, the role of data in helping us predict and prepare for rapid skill shifts, and how a focus on skills is reshaping talent management.
Amanda Cacheris, Vice President, AT&T University, AT&T
Matt Sigelman, CEO, Emsi Burning Glass and President, Burning Glass Institute
Andrew Temte, Senior Advisor, Kaplan and Former CEO, Kaplan Professional
Moderator: Amy Lui Abel, PhD, Vice President, Human Capital, The Conference Board
11:40 am – 11:45 am (ET) Break
11:45 am – 12:10 pm (ET)
How Walmart Enables Self-Directed Upskilling with Credentialing
Walmart is committed to supporting the ambitions of their associates to learn and grow professionally, and as part of that commitment, it has recently launched a credentialing program that provides all hourly associates across the country with the opportunity to earn badges with over 25,000 earned to date. Associates can self-identify what they want to pursue across the store next once they have earned their credentials for their specific role. Hear how and why Walmart launched the program, the impact it is having, and what advice they have for others who want to build self-directed credentialing programs for their workers.
Tina Kurtz, Director, U.S. Learning Strategy and Innovation, Walmart
Ayreann Luedders, Senior Director, Walmart U.S. Academies, Walmart
12:10 pm – 12:15 pm (ET) Break
12:15 pm – 12:45 pm (ET)
Thriving in a Digital World: Helping Employees Develop the Critical Skills of the Future
Digital transformation requires that employees, irrespective of job role, develop some degree of digital literacy and skills. This session focuses on practical strategies organizations
are using to help their employees and the enterprise develop the critical digital skills they will need to function, and thrive, in the digital world of the future.
Lawrence Ferrara, Chief Learning Officer, ProEdge, PwC
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm (ET) Break
1:00 pm – 1:25 pm (ET)
Skills for the Future of Work and What Forward-Thinking Companies Are Doing to Prepare the Workforce
Forward thinking companies are not only working to prepare their own employees for the jobs of the future, they are taking innovative steps to prepare the greater workforce, recognizing that all organizations thrive when the overall economy thrives. The Conference Board’s Amy Lui Abel and Elizabeth Crofoot will describe the five emerging economies where rapid job growth is occurring, share examples, of what pioneering companies are doing to prepare the workforce of the future, and provide tips on what other organizations can do to get involved.
Amy Lui Abel, PhD, Vice President, Human Capital, The Conference Board
Elizabeth Crofoot, Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development, The Conference Board
1:25 pm – 1:30 pm (ET) Break
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm (ET)
The Future of Coaching for Skill Development
While it has been around since the time of Socrates, coaching has seen a recent resurgence in interest as organizations seek to prepare their leaders to navigate constant uncertainty and volatility at the same time that they are seeking to personalize learning, create connection, and increase engagement. This session will reveal the findings from a recent study conducted RedThread Research and licensed by Torch on how to scale coaching, enhance its impact, and develop a coaching culture that supports ongoing upskilling of current and future leaders.
Dani Johnson, Principal Researcher and Co-Founder, RedThread Research
Elizabeth Weingarten, Head of Behavioral Science Insights, Torch
2:00 pm – 2:05 pm (ET) Break
2:05 pm – 2:35 pm (ET) Break
Panel: The Most Critical Leadership Skills of the Future
In an environment of seemingly constant volatility and uncertainty, organizations need their leaders to master new skills, including agility, resilience, digital fluency, inclusive leadership, and managing a remote or hybrid workforce. In this session, panelists will address what skills they consider to be most critical for future leaders and why, how they are developing those skills in their current and future leaders, how they are measuring the impact of those initiatives, and what advice they have for others.
Jason Franklin, Director, Global Talent Development, Adobe
Mark Veary, Manager, Learning Experience, Learning & Talent Center of Expertise, Chevron Corporation
Moderator: Michelle Blieberg, Chief People Officer, Global Holdings Management Group and Program Director, The Conference Board
2:35 pm – 2:40 pm (ET) Break
2:40 pm – 3:10 pm (ET)
Turning Soft Skills into Power Skills for the Future
Organizations are increasingly recognizing that technical skills alone are not sufficient to optimize performance. Employees also need to hone their soft skills, such as interpersonal communication, in order to unleash the full power of their potential. Hear how Curbell, a Go1 customer, designed and implemented an enterprise-wide program to help raise the bar on “power skills” across all business units, creating a comprehensive power skills training program for all of their workers.
Jeni Becker, Senior Training and Development Manager, Curbell
Lauren Waldman, Founder & Lead Learning Scientist, Learning Pirate
3:10 pm – 3:15 pm (ET) Break
3:15 pm – 3:40 pm (ET)
How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Learning and Skill Development
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing and transforming many aspects of talent management, including learning and skill development. This session explores the role of AI as both a disruptor and enabler of the high demand skills of the future.
Jennifer Burnett, PhD, Principal Researcher, The Conference Board
Samuel Ragsdale, Chief Learning Officer, 3M
3:40 pm – 3:45 pm (ET)
Closing Remarks
Barbara Lombardo, PhD, Program Director and Distinguished Principal Research Fellow, The Conference Board
