8

Possible Next Steps Suggested by Participants

In the final session, the panel moderators summarized the messages they heard during the workshop as well as participants’ comments on opportunities and gaps to be addressed in efforts to move forward.¹ This chapter lists possible next steps identified by the moderators and workshop participants to address shifts in the business model and in the nature of work that call for adaptability. The steps are categorized by major stakeholders, although actions often involve collaborations across sectors. In addition, appendix D presents a categorized list of ideas, questions, and suggestions noted by workshop participants during the lightning rounds.

Individuals

• Identifying the value proposition of adaptability for individuals could clarify priority actions.
• Activities and programs to develop other skills could be designed to have a side benefit of helping individuals become more adaptable.

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¹ The following lists are the rapporteurs’ summary of the main points made by the panel moderators in the final session and by individual speakers and participants earlier in the workshop. Given the unstructured nature of the discussion, it was not possible to clearly identify every speaker or attribute every comment or idea. The statements have not been endorsed or verified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Companies

• Identifying the value proposition of adaptability for companies could clarify priority actions.
• Changing the language used to describe particular types of jobs and workers to remove negative connotations would reduce barriers to adaptability associated with those jobs.
• The use of new terms such as maker professionals and new-collar jobs can reflect the sense of agency and identity that supports adaptability.
• Strong leadership can create a culture of adaptability and help employees reach their full potential.
• Sharing examples of companies’ best practices and successful activities in training their employees to meet workplace changes will accelerate the changes that are needed.

Researchers and Data Analysts

• Improved, more accessible, and less expensive analytics of adaptability could drive training efforts, data gathering, and a broader adaptability agenda.
• Further study of individual, team, and organizational adaptability can identify their commonalities and differences.
• Mapping the skills required in modern economies could help align training and education with workforce needs.
• A tool that can measure adaptability across multiple sectors and regions could provide data that can lead to continuous improvements in workforce skills.

Educators

• Establishing appropriate roles for K–12 education, higher education, and out-of-school activities in fostering adaptability could benefit students at all levels.
• Partnerships among educational institutions, companies, and government can focus attention on adaptability across sectors.
• Connecting education to real-world challenges could help develop skills needed in the modern workplace.
• Sharing examples of best practices and successful activities from K–12 and higher education will accelerate the changes that are needed.

• Educational institutions at all levels need to inculcate cultures that foster change.

General

• Providing students with information about educational pathways and workforce opportunities can help them make good decisions about educational and career options.
• Champions for change can help focus the attention of policymakers, business leaders, and educators on the need for adaptability.
• Policy needs to take into account that no one program or approach can meet the need for adaptability, though there may be common elements to programs that are successful.
• A resilient training system could be designed with layers of support and supporters so that no single institution or person acts as a gatekeeper.

Nick Donofrio offered some parting words for the workshop participants: “I’m an engineer. Work equals force times distance. You can push all you want, you can sweat blood, but if there’s no distance [i.e., movement], technically there’s no work.”