Latest news with #economicOpportunity
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt assumes lead role in National Governors Association
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, entering his final 17 months in that office, is the new chair of the National Governors Association. Stitt, who served as vice chair during the past year, became the chair on Saturday, July 26, at the organization's summer meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He said his major initiative for the next calendar year will be called, 'Reigniting the American Dream,' which will focus on unlocking economic opportunity, empowering every learner and energizing the future with ideas such as artificial intelligence and energy independence. Stitt, a Republican, will lead the organization alongside its incoming vice chair, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association includes the leaders of 55 states, territories and commonwealths in the United States. The goal of the organization is for governors to identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels. 'We're demonstrating to America that there's so much more that we agree on than we disagree,' Stitt said. Moore said he's looking forward to working alongside Stitt. 'We look forward to being able to present an example to the rest of the country that as governors, what we focus on is getting things done,' Moore said. 'What we focus on is making sure we're serving the people of our individual jurisdictions. What we focus on is making sure that we can identify best practices and put them into action and put them into work and bring them to scale. 'That's what governors do, and it's an honor to uh to work alongside our governors of both political parties to make sure that the people of our individual jurisdictions don't forget that we're not here to play games and we're not here to be performative. No, we're here to bring real results to their lives.' During his year as chair, Stitt and other governors are planning to convene in Switzerland for an 'international learning journey,' as well as in Austin, Texas, for a 'regional economic opportunity summit' and in Philadelphia to discuss 'energy and infrastructure innovation.' The 2026 National Governors Association's summer meeting will be held in Oklahoma City. Stitt succeeds Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, as the organization's chair. 'The beautiful thing about the American Dream is that there are as many dreams as there are people,' Stitt said. 'In a time where all we hear is about how divided we are, let's remind them that we agree on this: the American Dream doesn't need to be reimagined, it needs to be reignited. Governors are in a unique position to lead this charge. I'm grateful for the trust of my fellow Governors as we start this journey together.' Stitt's speech on Saturday included a shout-out to a unique Oklahoma school, as he touted the Oklahoma Aviation Academy, run by Norman Public Schools, as an innovative education model. The academy is essentially a public immersion school for high school students wishing to pursue a career in any number of aviation-related fields. Only a handful of similar schools exist anywhere in the U.S. 'Here's the deal — students need heroes and role models,' Stitt told his fellow governors. 'I want us to look at how we can expand apprenticeships and internships, so students get real-world training earlier in their academic career. We can give students meaningful experiences that lead to real jobs without saddling them with debt.' Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, issued a statement Saturday about Stitt, noting the governor had been 'chosen by his peers' to lead the National Governors Association. 'The most meaningful and effective policies in our nation originate at the state level, and this selection gives Governor Stitt a unique platform to help shape America's future as our country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in the coming year,' Hilbert said. 'I look forward to working with him in his new role." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt now the chair of National Governors Association Solve the daily Crossword
Bloomberg
03-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
S. Africa Central Bank Sees ‘Amazing' Chance to Lower CPI Goal
South Africa's current low level of inflation is an unmissable chance to reduce the country's inflation target and lock in the benefits of tame price pressures and cheaper borrowing costs. 'There is a really amazing opportunity right now,' David Fowkes, a member of the South African Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee, told an audience on Tuesday in Soweto, south of Johannesburg. 'This is surely the best opportunity we're ever going to get.'
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
3 Tips To Stay Relevant In Your Job, From A Gen X Professional
As a member of Generation X who has tracked trends in education and employment for a living for over two decades, Steven Kurutz's article about the Gen X 'career meltdown' hit a little too close to home. Kurutz describes the career fate of Gen X workers who work as creatives in newspaper journalism, photography, graphic arts, and related industries. He convincingly explains that, due to AI, this group of workers teeters on obsolescence when we should be at the height of our careers. As AI becomes more of a must-know than a nice-to-know, I've been thinking about what this means for the skills, credentials, and experiences I should pursue to remain competitive and continue adding value in my career. Over the last year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues in Jobs for the Future (JFF)'s Center for AI and the Future of Work and a stellar advisory committee to investigate how AI could lead to quality jobs, catalyze wealth-building, and promote economic opportunity for everyone — particularly for workers in jobs that are susceptible to disruption from AI and automation. This led to AI for Economic Opportunity and Advancement: A Call to Action, a guide for how education and workforce practitioners, employers, investors and policymakers can ensure that AI makes everybody better off. This process helped me consider some changes I need to make to stay relevant at work. I'll share them here in the event they are helpful to my fellow Gen Xers (and my younger generation colleagues, too). Over the next three years, 92% of companies plan to increase their investments in AI. If you think you can avoid integrating AI into your skillset, it's not likely. AI is now a core feature in leading business process software. Gen X workers who want to continue to add value at work must be proactive in getting smart about AI. Don't make the mistake of waiting for your employer to help you get up to speed. Employers are rapidly implementing AI, but few are providing support to their employees. Only 31% of workers report receiving employer-provided AI training, according to a survey that accompanied the Call to Action. Unless you work for companies like PwC and Accenture, which are investing billions of dollars in providing AI upskilling support to their teams, you are largely on your own. Employers tend to prioritize AI skills over experience, according to a 2024 Microsoft and LinkedIn study. Specifically, 71% of business leaders would choose a less experienced candidate with AI expertise over a more experienced candidate lacking those skills, and 77% believe AI will allow early-career talent to take on greater responsibilities. Unsurprisingly, younger generations are using AI more, with 85% of Gen Zers using it at work, compared with 76% of Gen Xers. This shift means that having more experience no longer guarantees a competitive edge for Gen X workers. Unless we acquire AI skills, we may find ourselves outpaced in job opportunities and career advancement by our Millennial and Gen Z colleagues. No one is coming to save us. Most of us in the 'sandwich generation' need to work at least 15 to 20 or so more years before we can comfortably retire, but there's no way to do that without learning a few more tricks. We can't fall into the cognitive trap known as the Einstellung effect, where our existing knowledge flattens and the range of ideas and solutions we consider narrows. AI can help us get out of our own way, identify blind spots, and solve problems in ways we might not have previously envisioned, according to Harvard Business Review. But we should avoid going it alone. Collaborating with our younger colleagues will help us go further faster. The power of unlocking innovation lies in combining the different kinds of knowledge that Gen X and younger generations of workers hold. Let me explain: Gen Xers have more lived experience than our Millennial and Gen Z colleagues. We have what psychologists call crystallized intelligence, the knowledge accumulated from prior learning and past experiences. Our younger colleagues tend to have more fluid intelligence, which allows them to solve new problems without relying on past knowledge. Collaborating across generations in formal and informal ways at work on teams and on projects can generate win-win solutions that enhance creativity and innovation. As we learn more about integrating these new AI capabilities into our daily work lives, it's helpful to remember what we can do that this technology cannot. AI may be able to fulfill some technical functional aspects of your job, but it doesn't have the unique experience you bring to your work. A key takeaway from the Call to Action is that we want AI to uplift what it means to be human. For instance, AI can efficiently manage my research on education and employment, often completing tasks faster than I can. It can also identify significant trends in my field. You may be in a similar situation if you are in a knowledge-driven profession. However, there are certain aspects of me and my experience that AI simply can't replace. AI cannot fully grasp my perspective, which is shaped by my personal journey. The data AI is trained on doesn't adequately represent the experiences of many Americans who share a similar racial, ethnic, and economic background as mine. I have worked at my job for 20 years, during which I have collaborated meaningfully with leading organizations and experts in my field. These experiences have given me valuable insights that I continue developing daily. In addition, my liberal arts education and multidisciplinary graduate studies give me a unique perspective on AI's outputs. While there is still much to learn, my experiences make it difficult for AI to replicate exactly what I do. As Gen Xers navigate this new world and reimagine their careers, it's important to remember to use this technology as a support, not a replacement. Embracing AI can help reinvigorate our work when our careers are losing momentum. By leveraging our experience, unique perspectives, and the strengths that define us, we not only avoid becoming obsolete but can thrive in this next chapter.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Sri Lanka gets $1 bln from World Bank, jobs in focus
NEW YORK, May 7 (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Wednesday it has earmarked more than $1 billion to support job creation and private sector growth in Sri Lanka over three years. "The initiative aims to expand economic opportunity, strengthen local industry, and attract private capital to support long-term growth," the bank said in a statement. The World Bank estimates a shortage of some 700,000 jobs in the island nation over the next decade with a million young people entering the workforce.
