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

 

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.