WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 900 of the country's top leaders in education, industry, policy, the nonprofit world and more gathered for the seventh annual U.S. News STEM Solutions Presents: Workforce of Tomorrow conference in Washington, D.C., April 4-6, 2018.
Each year, U.S. News & World Report, publisher of the Best STEM High Schools, Best STEM Jobs and Parent's Guide to STEM, convenes business and government leaders, scientists, technology experts, nonprofit executives and educators to examine the complex challenges and scalable solutions in developing a future workforce skilled in science, technology, engineering and math. This year's conference theme – Skills, Jobs and the New Collar Economy – put a special emphasis on what's working to help prepare the next generation of talent.
"There are nearly 30 million good jobs unfulfilled in the U.S. – jobs that require some level of education beyond high school with STEM skills," said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News and the chair of the conference. "Through the Workforce of Tomorrow conference, we have created an active community working to build a workforce committed to filling the skills gap in health care, engineering, software and technology."
The 3-day conference included a packed schedule of keynote panels, breakout sessions, workshops, interactive exhibits, roundtable discussions, and networking receptions. This year's speaker roster featured more than 100 renowned leaders across industry, education, government, and the nonprofit world.
Thursday's opening keynote session featured insights from the leaders of Microsoft, Northeastern University, Georgetown University, the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, the AFL-CIO, Cisco, New America, NAF, the University of California–Irvine, Credential Engine, the Samueli Foundation, McKinsey & Company, and the STEM Next Opportunity Fund speaking on topics such as the future of work, understanding the new-collar landscape and examining how education must adapt for the automation age.
This year, U.S. News honored four distinguished leaders in education, industry and philanthropy as part of the U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. The class of 2018 includes France A. Córdova, Director of the National Science Foundation; Ira Flatow, Host and Executive Producer of Science Friday; Henry Samueli, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Broadcom; and James West, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Award recipients discussed the importance of hands-on learning in STEM.
The conference concluded on Friday with an in-depth look at data, policy, and partnerships, including several related breakout sessions and a closing keynote session featuring Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel, and American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard. Additionally, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's Senior Policy Advisor and Assistant Director for STEM Education Jeff Weld spoke on STEM education policy at the federal level.
Workforce of Tomorrow partnered with the STEM Funders Network's STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative and the USA Science & Engineering Festival to champion the STEM cause by incorporating real-world perspectives from the industry leaders, educators, nonprofits, parents and students who are a part of those efforts. In addition, the conference is supported by more than 30 engaged corporations, foundations and nonprofits including corporate sponsors such as the Samueli Foundation, Cognizant, Strada Education Network, American Institutes for Research, Broadcom Foundation, Dow Chemical Company, ExxonMobil, Qualcomm, ZipRecruiter, 3M and Ford. An additional 35 organizations provided conference support, including the Carnegie Academy for Science Education and the Lancaster County STEM Alliance.
For more details and to stay updated on the conference, please visit http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/updates/. For conference highlights as well as articles, commentaries and videos on STEM, visit USNews.com/STEM.
About U.S. News STEM Solutions
The U.S. News STEM Solutions Presents: Workforce of Tomorrow conference is focused on improving America's science, technology, engineering and math skills. Produced by U.S. News & World Report, the conference highlights STEM issues on a national stage and assembles major corporations, leading educators and top policymakers to advance the development of a STEM-focused workforce in the new-collar economy. For more details and updates, please visit http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/updates/.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
SOURCE U.S. News & World Report