Getting Smart Podcast

How Can a Skills-First Mindset Transform the Future of Work and Education? | Isaac Agbeshie-Noye

Oct 8, 2025
Dr. Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, Program Director at the SHRM Foundation, dives deep into the future of work with a skills-first approach. He emphasizes unlocking potential through aligning skills with workforce needs. The discussion reveals barriers to skills-based hiring, like change fatigue and economic shifts. Isaac explores the impact of AI on job markets, highlighting opportunities for digital literacy. He advocates for strong partnerships between employers and educational institutions to enhance skill development, providing a roadmap for a more equitable workforce.
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INSIGHT

Employers As Levers For Social Good

  • The SHRM Foundation uses employer networks to advance social good by improving workplace accessibility.
  • Widening Pathways targets alignment between skills people have and open jobs to close the gap.
INSIGHT

Focus On Untapped Talent Pools

  • Widening Pathways focuses on five untapped talent pools: persons with disabilities, opportunity youth, military community, workers over 50, and people with criminal records.
  • Shared strategies across these groups can help employers support anyone and widen access.
INSIGHT

Skills-First As A Lifelong Strategy

  • A skills-first mindset views skills as a lifelong toolbox and spans recruitment through retirement.
  • The aim is to surface signifiers of potential and performance beyond degrees so employers and educators can match talent to work.
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