About ReConvene

The future of the workplace is being reinvented by emerging technologies and new ways of thinking. The future of workforce development must be equally innovative to meet the challenges of the 21st-century economy. ReConvene brings together workforce development, business, and government leaders to share insights, challenges, best practices, and strategies that are redefining the region’s workforce.

It’s time for the Future of Work to be an intentional and meaningful part of your organization. This series was designed to address both strategic and tactical decisions and priorities all while sharing the ins and outs of the new and improved Workforce Training Fund Express Program.

Managing the Future of Work

Multiple forces of change – demographics, technology, automation, globalization – are coming together at an unprecedented pace and scale. How can leaders prepare their organization and create the workforce of the future? Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work pursues research that business and policy leaders can put into action to navigate this complex landscape.

The Project’s current research areas focus on six forces that are redefining the nature of work in the United States as well as in many other advanced and emerging economies:

Technology trends like automation and artificial intelligence
Contingent workforces and the gig economy
Workforce demographics and the “care economy”
The middle-skills gap and worker investments
Global talent access and utilization
Spatial tensions between leading urban centers and rural areas

Watch a conversation with Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School and co-lead of the school’s initiative, Managing the Future of Work. A 1981 graduate of the school, Joe was a founder, first employee, and long-time CEO of the global consulting firm, Monitor Group, now Monitor-Deloitte. His research interests encompass multiple issues related to the future of work, including the skills gap, the growth of gig work, and the care economy. He also studies the evolving role of CEOs.

Increasing the Marketability of Small, Diverse Businesses

Small businesses not only help their community’s economy but also affect the national economy directly. Today, a diverse company’s survival depends more than ever on its marketing strategy. Learn how to improve your small business’s marketability in this workshop presented by Commonwealth Corporation and the Supplier Diversity Office. In addition to certifying diverse businesses, the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) administers several programs to help small and diverse businesses be more competitive when bidding on public contracts.

Finding Resources as a Small Business

Discover how the Small Business Administration empowers future leaders and helps small businesses succeed.

Almost 30 million small businesses throughout the nation are responsible for creating two out of three net new jobs in the private sector and employing more than half of the nation’s workers. The COVID-19 public health crisis and the ensuing economic crisis have produced numerous challenges for small, micro, and solo businesses throughout the country. It can be challenging to find resources for small businesses, whether they are searching for new capital for operations during these challenging economic times or considering starting a business.

In order to help small businesses across the country not just endure, but recover on solid footing, the Small Business Administration and Commonwealth Corporation have partnered to provide critical assistance and support. At this event, entrepreneurs and employees alike can prepare for important milestones by receiving guidance on how to begin looking for help and how to take advantage of everything offered.

Integrating Immigrants at All Levels of Your Organization

A multitude of factors are combining to bring about a pace and scale of change that is unprecedented and issues that have affected our communities have been amplified in a post-pandemic world. Immigrant integration into the workforce will determine how competitive Massachusetts will be in the future. Immigrants make up a significant part of the workforce, highlighting the need for employers to be involved in their integration into the labor force. In a dynamic labor market, employers stand to lose when immigrants lack skills and gain from their upgrade in skills.

Watch Commonwealth Corporation and English for New Bostonians to learn how to attract, engage, and retain a diverse workforce to increase your bottom line. Our partners at English for New Bostonians are experienced in creating opportunities for immigrants to learn English and pursue their education, economic and civic aspirations–fostering and empowering the Massachusetts workforce.

Elevando los Negocios Latinxs

A medida que el país se recupera de los devastadores efectos del COVID-19, la creación de un entorno empresarial más equitativo es esencial para su reconstrucción. Con el 17.6 por ciento de la fuerza laboral de EE. UU., y en camino de convertirse en el 28 por ciento de la población para 2060, los latinos son una parte fundamental de la economía.

Si bien los latinxs son el grupo demográfico y la fuerza laboral de más rápido crecimiento en los EE. UU., las empresas de dueños latinxs tienden a ser más pequeñas y más concentradas en sectores de bajos salarios que sus contrapartes de empresarios anglos. Después de la pandemia, la situación ha empeorado.

Es esencial que los esfuerzos de recuperación incluyan intervenciones específicas que aseguren que los trabajadores y las empresas latinas estén en condiciones de crecimiento. Únase a Commonwealth Corporation para una charla informal con Rosalín Acosta, Secretaria de Trabajo y Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral, y Franklin Caraballo, Director Gerencial de Caraballo Accounting para discutir el compromiso de los empleados y el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral en inglés y español para empresas minoritarias.

Estaremos discutiendo:

Qué programas de subsidios se ofrecen para llegar a esta población desatendida.
Las barreras existentes y cómo superarlas.
Cómo las pequeñas empresas pueden capitalizar las oportunidades financiadas por el estado* Si usted es una empresario Latinx y desea mantener a sus empleados comprometidos, debe comenzar aquí.

Esta conversación se llevará a cabo principalmente en español, con servicios disponibles de traducción al inglés.

Women in the Workforce: Investing in the Employee Experience

The employee experience is the cornerstone of any successful company. The problem remains that few business owners have the time, resources, or expertise to tackle it. There’s no escaping the fact that employee experience is critical. As of August 2021, the female employment rate remains 5.7% lower than pre-pandemic levels, compared to 1% for male workers. Women make up a significant portion of our Massachusetts economy. There are roughly 1.8 million female workers (employed and unemployed) in the Massachusetts labor force, according to pre-pandemic U.S. census data.

Development plays a major role in employee satisfaction, and its absence is a major contributing factor to employees’ leaving their employers. In this fireside chat, Christine Abrams, President & CEO of Commonwealth Corporation, and Kristin Carlson, President of Peerless Precision, Inc. will discuss their efforts to prioritize the employee experience and what you can do to support women in your workforce.

Commonwealth Corporation is proud to host ReConvene, a community-wide convening focused on reimagining workforce development in Boston. This series will showcase and celebrate the power of the private sector, nonprofits, government, and education to transform the future of work for all Bostonians.

About Express

The Express Program provides employers fast, simple access to grant-funded training, helping businesses in Massachusetts respond to emerging needs. Check out the Express Directory to see what programming is available.

ReConvene 2021: Express Launch Recap