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Education and the Workforce: Matching Skills and Needs?

Debates

Date: Tue November 13, 2012

Schedule: 10.45 - 12.15 (UTC+3h)

Location: Auditorium 3

Moderated by: Mr. Michael Trucano

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Employers’ demands upon education are changing significantly around the world. People with lower levels of education have the greatest difficulty in finding work and building satisfying careers, but even a higher education does not guarantee employment. How can key players in various sectors and regions collaborate to better match skills and needs, and to create economic opportunities?

Poll results: 
 

Speakers

  • Mr. Michael Trucano

    Organization: 
    The World Bank (Washington, D.C.)
    Read biography

  • Dr. Christine Evans-Klock

    Organization: 
    Employment Sector, International Labour Organization
    Read biography

  • Dr. Mona Mourshed

    Organization: 
    Global Education Practice, McKinsey & Company
    Read biography

  • Mr. Khozema Z Shipchandler

    Organization: 
    General Electrics Global Growth & Operations
    Read biography

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Chris POOLE Director - LOOKRED SOLUTIONS LTD United Kingdom
How do you ground this debate in the realities of life? At the same time the WISE debate on this subject was going on was speaking to locally elected councillors on precisely the same matter in Wokingham, England (in heart of UK's silicon valley). I was invited as a local employer (although I run a technology start up that is anything but local!), with others to share our view of what we need from the education system. My simple view is we have to begin to appreciate that kids in schools in UK are already competing with kids in S Korea etc. My developers are not in the UK and I haven't met most of them! The work I have done outside the UK on 'smart' technology enabled change shows they are in leap frog mode. The local garage owner and gardening business in Wokingham has a very different view and the schools say they are bowed down by the curriculum! Danger of WISE being an academic debate unless it helps to shift mind sets?
The 18 Nov 2012 at 21:12
Ahmad AL-ALOULA CEO - VERSO Saudi Arabia
Employers' needs and the ecosystem changes in a pattern that is almost impossible to catch up with. I believe people should follow their passion, which would result - most probably - in excellence in what they do, whatever it is. Employers will find themselves in need for those people regardless of what they studied and what school they went to. More than half of Apple's Mac "engineers" don't have a college degree!
The 11 Nov 2012 at 12:21
Lina AL-ERYANI Monitoring & Evaluation Manager - SOUL FOR DEVELOPMENT Yemen
What can you advice a first year university student who face difficulty in choosing a a major that interest him/her or a major that has a good job opportunities? Taking a degree that meet the student interest, may not pay off once he/she graduate and cannot find a job.
The 09 Nov 2012 at 19:17
Rawda EADA Owner - LIFELONG LEARNING Jordan
Being well educated means being a good citizen, regardless of the kind of job a person has. Opportunities are there, we just need to find what suits our interests to choose the proper job. Being well educated enables a person to know himself better, and to know the needed skills to work on for the job of his choice.
The 09 Nov 2012 at 08:33
Michel-Ange DAGRAIN Student - COMPUTER SCIENCE INSTITUTE OF HAITI Haiti
I think that one thing that should be done in order to better match skills and needs and to create economic opportunities is the belief in citizens’ skills. For instance in my county, people always think that a foreign person is smarter than a citizen and would prefer to hire the foreign person while the citizen well qualified, with his/her master degree is begging for jobs. The second thing to do is to improve the quality of education so that the citizen leaners can be brought up to par and be internationally recognized. At least, how can people finding works if we did not have created them first? Then now, a big question is asked: How to create jobs?
The 06 Nov 2012 at 18:09
Uma GUPTA Fulbright Scholar - UNIVERSITY OF MALTA Malta
The irony is education has the answers to this question. Where we fail miserably is in the effective implementation of innovative ideas that are already in play in different parts of the world. Even if we implemented a few proven ideas, we would be ahead.
The 06 Nov 2012 at 16:39
Abeer AMMOURI Director Pre- and In-Service Teacher Training - JORDAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Jordan
How can we motivate students to go to vocational education rather than the academic education?
The 02 Nov 2012 at 19:30
Marco BREVI Visionary - COMPULSORY SCHOOL Italy
Hi, for my point of view this is still in a wrong direction. The question should start from a different area of the school as per quantum mechanic cause and effect. The very basic method is not longer acceptable. For this matter I create an excellent solution for better education, the equivalent of skills and needs. The problem is how to really start the change - I do have the solution if you've got the power to do the starting!
The 30 Oct 2012 at 17:55
Jane IRWIN
What advice would you give to a high school graduate who can't choose between vocational training and a traditional academic education?
The 23 Oct 2012 at 18:22
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