Our Work

Regional Convenings

The Future of Work is ushering in rapid changes for the technician workforce and poses both challenges and opportunities for technician training and education. Cities and organizations across the country have engaged in dialogue to understand and better prepare for the workplace shifts already underway. However, there has been limited conversation about implications of the future of work on the technician workforce.

Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work organizes and facilitates regional convenings of employers and educators to discuss the technician knowledge and skills essential to success in the future workplace. Convenings highlight global trends and technology advancements that are rapidly changing technician skill demands and stimulate dialogue on issues of regional competitiveness. Convening conversations also focus on strategies for adopting the Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core for technician education programs while prioritizing the knowledge and skills of the Core based on regional needs.

Participants report high satisfaction with the convenings, as outcomes generated include actionable recommendations for their region’s educators and employers. The events also provide valuable opportunities for developing regional networks to continue the conversations around higher education and workforce development.

We invite you to engage in these ongoing discussions to help transform technician education in ways that will ensure technician competitiveness in the future workplace.

To learn how your institution can become a regional partner, contact Ann-Claire Anderson, project PI.

Convening Partners:

  • Forsyth Technical College, Winston-Salem, NC
    Collaborators: Cook Medical, National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce
  • San Jacinto College, Gulf Coast Region, TX
    Collaborators: UpSkill Houston, Greater Houston Partnership
  • Gateway Technical College, Kenosha-Racine, WI
  • Maricopa Community Colleges, AZ Advanced Manufacturing Institute, Maricopa Information Technology Institute, Phoenix, AZ