The Economic Development Coalition’s Future of Work event is just days away after countless hours of planning and collaboration from numerous stakeholders—scheduled on Thursday, April 18, from 2 to 6pm. We are excited that it is coming to fruition and hopeful that it will make a difference in our community. Stakeholders for the initiative include local major and small businesses, all five of the region’s cities, Riverside County, and four colleges/universities.
Society is changing at a rapid pace due to advances in technology and other prime movers. Cloud computing, social media, and the proliferation of mobile devices have transformed our world over the last decade. We are also on the cusp of significant changes due to the development of augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and other technologies.
We know that change is ubiquitous. But awareness is not enough to thrive in the days ahead. We need to ascertain how work, industries, and our workforce are changing in order to prepare for the future; both employers and educators need to be part of the conversation.
The Future of Work is designed to address these issues. It will begin with insightful, provocative content intended to stimulate fresh ideas and renewed perspective. Perhaps most importantly, participants will hear from futurist Nancy Giordano in the first portion of the meeting. Giordano founded Big Play Inc., which “guides visionary leaders through a rapidly transforming society,” and has managed a $50 billion portfolio, including work with companies such as Nestlé, Energizer, Sprint, NRG, The Coca Cola Company, Lucid AI, and others.
Following Giordano’s presentation and Q & A, the focus will turn to building momentum and creating ideas toward a comprehensive workforce development plan for the region. Participants will convene in professionally-facilitated small groups to envision the next steps for the valley’s most important industries. Due to the number and quality of delegates that have registered so far, this stage of the initiative promises to greatly contribute to regional growth in this area; the ideas and perspective offered will serve as the foundation of a strategic plan for the future of work in our community.
Azusa Pacific University is proud to sponsor this vital initiative, which we expect to lead to greater opportunity for local residents. We encourage you to attend! A limited number of tickets are still available and are on sale for $75 per person. For more information or to register, visit futureofwork.edcswca.com or call 951-694-9800.