It’s been 10 years since the start of the Great Recession. Unemployment is low, interest rates are rising and the stock market is at an all-time high.
Now that we’ve “recovered,” can we take a breather?
According to Allen Blue, LinkedIn co-founder and instructor at Poynter’s recent seminar on the future of work, absolutely not.
As we exit the Great Recession, we enter the “second machine age.” Blue, referencing the book by Erik Brynjolfsson, said that first, machines replaced our muscle. Now automation, machine learning and robots are replacing our brains at an exponential rate.
Recovery, then, means reckoning.
What types of jobs will disappear? Which are the most resilient to a technology takeover? How do we reallocate resources accordingly? How does America’s cultural emphasis on work, self-reliance and purpose shift? How are the key stakeholders – individuals, employers, governments, nonprofits and educators – preparing and connecting?
Poynter, with the help of teaching partner WorkingNation, guided 28 journalists through these questions during the future of work seminar Sept. 27-28. They left with new sources, stories and a sense of urgency.
Here are their key takeaways, using hashtag #WNPoynter.
This is "not your father's economy," according to Satyam Panday at @SPGlobalRatings. We have moved from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. Digital economy grew at an avg. pace of 5.7% year over year – nearly 4X faster than the overall economy. #wnpoynter
— Allison Shirk (@Allison_Shirk) September 28, 2018
On degree requirements: "Employers, you're missing out on talent because you're not able to see past your own limitations," said CEO of Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Karin Norington-Reeves @Poynter, @LuminaFound, @WorkingNation.
— Adam Hardy (@hardyjournalism) September 28, 2018
Educational institutions, industries and credentialing bodies need to work together to make a more simplified, standardized process, Roy Swift says. #WNPoynter
— Allison Shirk (@Allison_Shirk) September 28, 2018
Did you know that certificates and certifications are different? Roy from @workcred is breaking down the different types of #credentials available on the market. #WNPoynter
— WorkingNation (@WorkingNation) September 28, 2018
Only 10% of certifications have a formal review, according to Swift. Wow. "Buyer beware." https://t.co/FdbEtF3v6y
— Allison Shirk (@Allison_Shirk) September 28, 2018
Federal #workforce development money has declined dramatically over the past 8 years in Ohio, even as businesses are screaming about the #skillsgap. Presenters at @Poynter say it is a problem across the country. @ChiCookWORKS @WorkingNation @jfftweets https://t.co/6UNOPRo9mZ pic.twitter.com/1kq7IwLokm
— Lynn Hulsey (@LynnHulseyDDN) September 28, 2018
Brandon says we need to look beyond the 3.9% unemployment rate. "It's quite deceptive."
It doesn't count those who have dropped out of the workforce. Those individuals have given up on retraining and job seeking. #WNPoynter.
— WorkingNation (@WorkingNation) September 27, 2018
Nice to see @goldsteinamy at #wnpoynter to talk about her book, "Janesville": "Writing a book is like reporting on steroids." pic.twitter.com/aHJPtIMX5r
— Doris N. Truong (@DorisTruong) September 27, 2018
Which cities have the largest #skillsshortages? #LinkedIn co-founder @allenb, a member of the @workingnation exec committe, shares the latest #Workforce Report with journalists gathered for the #WNPoynter workshop on the #futureofwork. https://t.co/Nn8iwH3F5z pic.twitter.com/07viDNmkCD
— Ramona (@RamonaWritesLA) September 27, 2018
Allen asks what are the hooks to these stories. Some examples from the journalists: Winners & losers in the future economy. Will I lose my job? #WNPoynter
— WorkingNation (@WorkingNation) September 27, 2018
As a company, you have to maintain your robots, but you don't have to pay them, says @allenb, co-founder of @LinkedIn, on automation in the workplace. #WNPoynter pic.twitter.com/SuiOuLqbX3
— Courtney Linder (@LinderPG) September 27, 2018
.@LinkedIn's monthly workforce report is a great resource for looking at job trends. One of our favorite metrics: top skill shortages by city. #WNPoynterhttps://t.co/5b9x6EENAP
— WorkingNation (@WorkingNation) September 27, 2018
.@hari provides a look at those most at risk of job displacement due to automation: workers making < $20/hour & workers with less than high school education. #WNPoynter pic.twitter.com/SRUOtXnUKY
— Kristin Falzon (@KristinFalzon) September 27, 2018
Brandon Busteed (@brandonbusteed) at Future of Work” seminar: “It’s impossible to talk about work and education separately.” #WNPoynter @Poynter @WorkingNation pic.twitter.com/sLgAEDWjq4
— FL College Access (@FLCollegeAccess) September 27, 2018
From new @WorkingNation video released today: 70% of those incarcerated are unemployed within the first year of being released. In California, The Last Mile is training incarcerated men to be software engineers when they get out. #WNPoynter
— Allison Shirk (@Allison_Shirk) September 28, 2018
"We're no longer a manufacturing economy" says @SPGlobal's senior economist Satyam Panday. The #futureofwork is in knowledge-based occupations. #WNPoynter #futureofeducation https://t.co/cMNLUEUPDM
— Ramona (@RamonaWritesLA) September 27, 2018
Poynter's workshop, "A Journalist's Guide to Covering the Future of Work," was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Lumina Foundation.
