Zoë Baird, CEO and President of the Markle Foundation, believes that the world’s economy is changing -- and she’s right. Long gone are the days of the Industrial Revolution, and the tools that were created to address that difficult transition. We are now in the thick of a digital revolution and as a result, a “digitized” economy. The training people need to succeed is also shifting. We live in an economy that is foregoing the traditional and instead looking for skills-based knowledge and continued growth -- regardless of whether or not you have a degree.
Zoë sat down with Allen Blue, VP, Product Management and Co-Founder at LinkedIn, at the latest LinkedIn Speaker Series to discuss how these transitions can be difficult to navigate not only for policy makers, but for you, me, our families, and everyone who’s looking to create a good life. They both provided insight into what the Markle Foundation and LinkedIn are doing to help people advance their careers.
While this new economy presents hurdles to overcome, like getting people the training they need and creating jobs, it also presents many of the solutions. In fact, Zoë shared that new insights from professional networks like LinkedIn can help educational institutions update their curriculum so that students learn the skills they need to qualify for open jobs. Yes, platforms like the one you’re on right now.
For example, LinkedIn is building the world’s first Economic Graph -- a digital map of the global economy that includes every member of the global workforce and their skills, all open jobs, all employers, and all educational institutions. LinkedIn has been sharing insights from the Economic Graph with policy makers, educators, and employers all around the world to help improve economies, like our partnership with Skillful -- a Markle Foundation initiative to help workers in Colorado and Phoenix with high school diplomas and some or no college education gain new skills to advance their careers. We also developed Training Finder, a new product that helps job seekers acquire new skills and advance their careers by showing relevant training programs in their area and valuable details to help them get the skills they need to get the job they want.
As I listened to Zoë and Allen discuss solutions with a true passion for creating economic opportunity for everyone, I was reminded that it’s not just the politicians who will pave the way for a brighter economic future. It’s about the business owners and entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, the workers who may not have traditional education but have the dedication, and the people who are passionate enough to develop the training and the tools, creating a better life, for everyone.
Watch the full LinkedIn Speaker Series video below, or listen to the podcast, and learn more about how the Markle Foundation, Skillful, and LinkedIn are helping create economic opportunity.