Loading... please wait

Inclusive Pathways to Prosperity: Reimagining Educational and Workforce Development Models

Speakers:

Johana Bahamón – CEO, Fundación Acción Interna
Beth Doane – CEO, Main & Rose; Advisor, Concordia
Melissa Medina – CEO & President, eMerge Americas
Jamila Gilbert – Senior Manager Internal Communications, Virgin Galactic
Hector Mujica – Head of Economic Opportunity and Inclusive Technology, Google.org; Advisor, Concordia
Carmen Correa – CEO, Pro Mujer
Camille Joseph Varlack – Chief of Staff to the Mayor of New York, Office of the Mayor, City of New York
Andrea Bernal – Anchor, NTN24
T.H Maria Elvira Salazar – Representative, U.S House of Representatives (FL-27)
Julian Esteban Rodriguez – Rector, Universidad Austral
Richard Lui – Anchor & Journalist, MSNBC/NBC News
Telma Ortiz Rocasolano – Associate Manager of External Relations and Strategy, Concordia

Key takeaways & next steps:

  • The job industry is changing very rapidly, and to maintain efficiency and success within one’s industry, adaptation is key. Educational systems need to adapt with the speed of technological innovation.
  • There is a gap and need to expand technology to rural areas, closing the broader division between rural areas and urbanized areas.. The future of the workforce depends on the future of technology, so it is crucial that everybody is connected.
  • The technology sector is currently very male dominated. Improvements in, and increased implementation of, female education is essential to close the gender gap within the workforce and education.
  • Mental health remains a challenge within education and the workforce and must be more openly talked about, as it remains one of the leading causes of death amongst young people and is still very much stigmatized.
  • A call for more inclusivity is needed, and one important factor is to address and take care of migrant children, providing them with health care, schooling, and housing.

“We work for better opportunities for those people who are in prisons, to recover freedom for their families and for the youth who have been without any freedom.”

Johana Bahamón, CEO, Fundación Acción Interna

“The world is increasingly divided between the types of jobs that require skills, and the types of jobs that do not. At least 50% of modern-day workers will require new modern-day skills to remain competitive.”

Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity and Inclusive Technology, Google.org; Advisor, Concordia

“Technology has an enormous power of transformation and is advancing. AI and robotics are transforming the productive sector, which can be amazing. However, this transformation has also increased inequality, especially towards women. The gaps in – and use of – technology is at the root of inequality.”

Carmen Correa, CEO, Pro Mujer

“I realized early on – especially being a female in the tech space – that it is very male dominated. Therefore, providing opportunities for underserved, minority founders is something that is in our DNA through all of our components.”

Melissa Medina – CEO & President, eMerge Americas

“Mental health is still not talked about enough, and there’s still a lot of stigma surrounding this. Mental health concerns every single one of us, and children especially are so susceptible. The generation that is going to inherit a lot of issues we are facing is really struggling, as suicide is the second leading cause of death for 11-year old kids.”

Beth Doane, CEO, Main & Rose; Advisor, Concordia

“One source of pride is the partnership we formed with the Girl Scouts troop that is made entirely up of asylum-seeking children, and it is absolutely incredible to serve them.”

Camille Joseph Varlack, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of New York, Office of the Mayor, City of New York

“We need to get people into spaces where they are supported. Only 685 people have been to space, less than 100 are women, less than 16 are Hispanic, and only one of four are Hispanic women. This means that only 16 people who have been to space come back to their Latin communities, and can share that experience.”

Jamila Gilbert, Senior Manager Internal Communications, Virgin Galactic

“Our purpose with this dialogue is to examine the multifaceted approaches required to empower this and the next generations, especially underserved communities.”

Andrea Bernal, Anchor, NTN24

“The Americas Act gives the opportunity to all of Central and South America countries to join the USMCA, which is the gold standard of trade agreements. This gives opportunities to those countries that are not corrupt, have transparency in their courts, have democracy, have a free market economy, and freedom for their populations. I’m going to make sure that we reward those governments and countries.”

T.H Maria Elvira Salazar, Representative, U.S House of Representatives (FL-27)

“Educators need to strengthen education about values. In order to make real change, we need the will, but this implies sacrifice and effort. Sacrifice implies attitudes, and attitudes require commitment to certain values. If not, nothing will change, and we could be in danger of talking a lot without any real results.”

Julian Esteban Rodriguez, Rector, Universidad Austral

“As we lived through a very difficult time the last five years, the word inclusion became a very difficult word. When you don’t have an inclusive business environment, it is like a 10% revenue cut.”

Richard Lui, Anchor & Journalist, MSNBC/NBC News

“We believe that the legacy we must leave to our youth is very much related to what we have discussed here. We want to hear their voices, and we want to make everyone here understand how important it is to listen to these new voices, these new generations.”

Telma Ortiz Rocasolano, Associate Manager of External Relations and Strategy, Concordia