We are pleased to announce that we are hosting our annual Summit alongside Meridian International Center, a nonpartisan diplomatic center in Washington, DC. This year the summit’s focus will be on Closing the Global Skills Gap.

The Saylor Academy Summit: Closing the Global Skills Gap will take place on November 14-15, 2019 in Washington, DC.   

We are thinking globally, and looking at an issue that affects citizens and families, employers and workers, higher education, government and economies worldwide: the global skills gap. 

The Global Skills Gap

Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash

What is the “global skills gap”? The skills gap is multifaceted but this statistic provides perspective:

UNESCO estimates that, by the year 2025, there will be nearly 100 million young people able to learn new skills but may not have access to universities or institutions to obtain those skills. 

In addition to underserved learners, employers around the globe are impacted by the shortage:

This problem is especially pronounced in developing economies with younger populations and/or fewer local opportunities for training and/or employment.  They will need skills in technology and career readiness to be able to compete for global jobs. Failure to do something will unnecessarily result in continued widespread unemployment, underemployment, and poverty.

Technological changes and workforce automation will also drive older students back to the classroom as lifelong learning becomes a worldwide requirement for career advancement.

“Tackling the global skills gap requires the type of cross-functional thinking that Saylor Academy’s events promote, and we are pleased to partner with Meridian International Center to draw the type of influencers that will work to solve the problem in a way that expands access to the underserved who stand ready to contribute to the global economy with the right educational support.” 

Jeffery S. Davidson, Executive Director of Saylor Academy.

How Do We “Bridge the Gap”?

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Organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, and others are working on these issues, prioritizing them as outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG4 and SDG8. But, more cross-sector help is needed to expand access to all that need it. 

Fortunately, innovative solutions can help fill these education and training needs. New applications of distance learning, microcampus models and other technology innovations can “bridge the gap” and bring education to millions: if the right discussions are had, and the best minds in education and the public and private sectors collaborate.

Saylor Academy Summit

Therefore, this November, we are calling on global leaders: especially education ministers, ambassadors,  university presidents, those working in skill development, and other nonprofit and higher education leaders to join us at the Closing the Skills Gap Summit.  We will have an expert-filled program representing a cross-sectional view and best practices to address these issues.

To learn more about joining us, please check out our page at summit.saylor.org.  We will see you there!