April 9, 2020
This article is originally posted on my LinkedIn.
The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice.
Brian Herbert
COVID-19 has exacerbated an already daunting problem society has been grappling with for many years: the global workforce does not have the skills necessary to succeed.
I’ve been thinking about this issue and the ensuing reality for the past year, long before the pandemic struck. But now with global unemployment potentially cresting at a quarter of a billion people in 2020, I feel a sense of responsibility to try and help solve the problem.
I want to help people, especially those in marginalized communities, get back to work.
The Questions
I am endeavoring to answer the following:
- What does the employee of the future look like, the workforce of the future?
- What can I develop that will create a collaborative partnership between government, private industry, and the individual employee, to promote perpetual upskilling?
- What can I build that will assist people in learning how to learn?
Silicon Valley
Over the course of my almost 6 years living and working in the Bay area, I’ve often struggled with tech’s core ideology of innovating at all costs.
I’ve watched with confusion at the lack of accountability there seems to be in the valley for the software we’re developing, promoting and profiting from. I’ve seen the development of products with harmful user behaviors that have and will continue to have a long-term negative impact on society (loss of jobs, effects on mental health, physical health, etc).
As someone who has benefited greatly from working in big tech, I have a responsibility to play a role in solving for some of these adverse effects.
My Time at Netflix
Let me be clear – my time in big tech, and specifically my time at Netflix was gratifying.
The culture, although not for everyone, is second to none in its ability to prioritize the work that truly matters for the business.
I learnt from some incredible product and engineering leaders, and worked alongside the most stunning colleagues. But that’s the past, and now’s the time for me to focus all of my attention on tackling a more socially-minded problem.
Moving Forward
It’s time for me to upskill the global workforce.
With that, I am launching the Infinite Learner to establish a definitive role for myself in helping circumvent long-term unemployment in a post-Covid world.
I’m a long way from having all the answers but with all the upheaval and uncertainty in our world today, perhaps it’s the perfect time to simply embrace the questions.
Conclusion
I do know one thing, it is time to build.
Join me on this journey as we work to create meaningful solutions for workforce development and help people gain the skills they need in our changing economy.