Workforce Development: Best Practices in Workforce Development

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Workforce DevelopmentBest Practices in
Workforce Development

• John Gibbons
• Senior Research Advisor
• The Conference Board
• June 24, 2008

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New Millennium Competencies

• General Business Acumen
• Understanding Complexity of Global Markets
• Mastery of the Underpinning Metrics of the
  Business
• Learning to Engage a Global Workforce
• Creating Nimble Work Processes and Policies
• Encouraging Innovation

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Pulling It Back to the Business

• All New Millennium competencies are derived from
  the overall strategies of the business and, as
  such, the demonstration of mastery of these
  competencies should not be evaluated in terms of
  behavioral change but, rather, success in
  managing the business better.

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Implications for the Disabilities Community

• Training programs (including vocational
  rehabilitation programs) should be focused on
  achieving business goals, not mastery of skills
  sets derived from job descriptions.
• Technology is at the core of the organizational
  nimbleness all training programs must have
  technological skills embedded in them.
• Business metrics are likely to penetrate more
  positions throughout the organization
  analytical skills are paramount, along with a
  component of the basics of Finance.
• Fewer jobs will be focused on physical tasks.
  Therefore, development should focus on maximizing
  interpersonal and service skills.
• Organizations are likely to have fewer permanent
  organizational structures. Therefore,
  development should emphasize building networks
  and lasting interpersonal relationships.