Make Me Smart How can we build a more resilient labor market?
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Oct 30, 2025 Claire Casey, President of the AARP Foundation, advocates for older workers' economic participation. Sam Caucci, founder of OneHuddle, introduces gamified training for frontline workers. Margaret McMenamin, President of Union College, focuses on personalized education to close gaps in opportunity. Together, they explore the impact of AI on job markets, the difference between skills and opportunity gaps, and visions for a resilient workforce. The group emphasizes the importance of transferable skills and proposes metrics like earnings and access to learning to track progress in the labor market.
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Opportunity Gap, Not Skills Gap
- Margaret McMenamin frames the problem as an "opportunity gap," not a skills gap, meaning workers and employers need better matching.
- She emphasizes the need to connect people who want work with employers who need specific skills.
Trickle-Down Training Fails Frontline Workers
- Sam Caucci highlights a "trickle-down" training model that leaves frontline workers without access to company training.
- He calls out a "willingness gap" where organizations don't choose to invest equitably in all employees.
Aging Workforce Needs Training Access
- Claire Casey notes a seismic demographic shift: workers over 50 have grown rapidly and now form a large share of the workforce.
- She warns that older workers are half as likely to be offered tech training, despite needing continuous upskilling.