Artificial intelligence, the rise of gig economy platforms and a new wave of automation will further change the future of work and the skill sets required to thrive in the workforce. Employers, workers and job seekers will all be impacted and must learn new skills to avoid being stranded.

In early 2018, hundreds of community and business leaders from 14 diverse regions came together to talk about the complexities of the future of work – the dynamic, fascinating and, at times, unsettling future of work. These sessions included discussions and real-time polling to gather input from stakeholder groups. Additionally, a Tennessee statewide survey tool was adapted for California’s use to gather feedback from business leaders and workers about skill demands in the workplace, specifically to understand and improve how employees are supported in achieving their desired level of education. The survey, California Future of Work Survey, added approximately 124 responses from employers and just under 100 workers added to the data pool for additional insights into the complexity of the future of work.

In each MeetUp conversation, Van Ton-Quinlivan, California Community Colleges executive vice chancellor for Workforce and Digital Futures, led the group through several key issues, looking for guidance from the leaders on ways to better serve the 2.5 million Californians who are not adequately trained to prosper in a booming economy.

To build momentum for improving California’s workforce training pipeline, “Can Technology Help Us Get Future-Ready?” offers the top recommendations and key learnings from the regional MeetUps and the employer/employee surveys.