HUMAN POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SCIENCE

PLATFORM 

Connecting workers with opportunities 
A central challenge in the automation age will be connecting millions of displaced workers to  new, growing jobs. Some may need to change jobs within the same company, and employers would provide the necessary training in these situations. But many workers may need to switch employers or make even bigger moves to different occupations in new locations.

Retraining workers and providing lifelong learning 
Workforce skills have been a growing concern in the United States for many years. Now 
new and higher-level skills are in demand, including not only digital skills but also critical 
thinking, creativity, and socioemotional skills. The skills needed in fast-growing STEM roles,  in particular, are continuously evolving. The old model of front-loading education early in life needs to give way to lifelong learning. Training and education can no longer end when workers are in their twenties and carry them through the decades. 

Supporting workers in transition 
In this period of technological change, the United States will need to look at modernizing and  strengthening the social safety net to support people transitioning between jobs. Workers displaced from full-time roles experience an average 35 percent loss of earnings, due to gaps in employment or working fewer hours at a new job.28 Some of the people most likely to be affected are already living paycheck-to-paycheck. For them, even a short period of disruption could provoke tremendous stress.2